


Artemis Fowl and the Black Curse

by zoepeanut



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer, Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-17 19:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 46
Words: 143,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20626115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoepeanut/pseuds/zoepeanut
Summary: Young genius Artemis Fowl has been the mastermind behind numerous spells, despite not being a wizard. However, with his father missing and potential enemies from his family history, Artemis is forced to use darker methods to gain help in locating his father. However, this cascades into an unexpected disaster. With the threat of war, how will Artemis react?





	1. Kidnapped

After the whole fiasco in Crocus with the Eclipse Gate, Lucy was glad to be back home. Her old apartment was still ready, and a warm bath was just calling her name. Really, she was beginning to wonder how many more of these adventures she could take. She had literally just watched herself die, not to mention dealing with the whole confusing mess of realizing time travel was possible. Part of her still worried that they were destined for some dark future, but another side said not to dwell on it. After all, it was entirely possible that multiple timelines existed. If so, then the future probably wasn’t that bleak. After all, with the gate gone, how else were dragons supposed to get to the present to destroy the future?

For now, Lucy figured she’d take some time off of jobs. Natsu and Happy could go together. Heck, they could even take Gray and the others along too. She just wanted a break from all of it first. Sinking into the water of her bath, Lucy let out a sigh. “Man…this really hits the spot. I’ve been missing my room for so long…” Maybe it would have been embarrassing to admit out loud in public, but here in the privacy of her home, it was fine. Other places really just weren’t the same, if she was being honest. Showers in Crocus were either too hot or too cold. She couldn’t get the temperature to adjust properly there. Not to mention the stores nearby hadn’t carried her favorite brand of body wash. She had been forced to use some off-brand for three days after she ran out of the supply she had brought with her.

Once she was satisfied with her relaxation, Lucy got out and wrapped a towel around her body, walking towards her desk in the other room. Maybe she’d take this time off to actually get some work done on her novel. She had recently decided to change the entire direction of the story, realizing she had been writing some embarrassingly fluffy romance scenes that had nothing to do with the main plot. Instead, she was trying to make it more serious and less about drama. After all, her life was crazy enough as it was. Maybe she should write a story about that instead. Someone would want to read about the antics of Fairy Tail, and even more would be willing to believe such insane stories were actually works of fiction. The thought made her smile, picking up her pencil and pulling out some blank sheets of paper.

Just as she was about to get to work, Lucy’s whole body jumped up at the sound of a voice. “Hey, Luce! Man, you took forever in there. What’s with you and those long showers?” Her heart was pounding, wondering how anyone could have gotten in here. However, she should have known who it would be. Her eyes were already narrowing into a glare as she turned to see Natsu and his partner, Happy, already making themselves at home in her apartment. They were lounging on her bed as if they owned the place, and she felt like she was ready to explode at them.

“Aye! Plus, you didn’t have anything good in your fridge this time.” Happy grinned at her, flying towards her. “Did you happen to be hiding fish in there with you? I wouldn’t blame you. I like to eat in the bath too sometimes.”

“Get out of my room, you stupid cat!” With a punch, she sent Happy flying back into Natsu, startling both of them as the dragon slayer caught his friend and frowned at her in confusion.

“Geeze, what’s with you?” Shaking his head, Natsu sighed. “You always make such a big deal over us stopping by to say hi. We just thought we’d tell you about what’s been happening at the guild while you were away.”

Taking a deep breath, Lucy sighed. Really, she did this whole thing every time they came. They never knocked, they stole her food, and they invaded her privacy like they didn’t even know what it was. It was annoying, but she should have been used to it by now. At least this time it wasn’t for some ridiculous reason like dragging her out of the room to watch some fight. The last time Natsu had dragged her to the guild to see Gray picking a fight with Cana, Lucy had flipped out on him and run directly back home. She hadn’t returned to the guild hall for days after that, wanting to prove her point to him. Then, her rent bill came in and she realized she couldn’t stop taking jobs forever if she wanted to stay in Magnolia. 

Meeting his gaze, Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks, but you really didn’t need to barge in here just to do that. At least try and use the front door if you want to stop by.” The open window behind him told her that he hadn’t even tried. Plus, she had locked her front door for the night already, so it was impossible for him to have broken inside.

Shrugging, Natsu leaned forward, crossing his legs as he sat on her bed. “Whatever. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” With a grin, he leaned forward. “Mavis is giving the entire guild a job to perform! Can you believe it? I bet it’ll be so awesome, probably fighting some old monster that threatened the guild years ago. We could defeat Fairy Tail’s greatest enemy!” Of course, he thought all jobs involved fighting in some form. Though, Lucy did have to admit, combat experience was becoming more necessary even on simpler jobs. The jobs like the acting group they had joined and serving came rarely, and more often, Lucy saw jobs for protecting cargo or hunting down bandits or monsters taking their place. However, something felt off about Mavis giving a job like that. While she didn’t exactly know Mavis well, she didn’t seem like the kind of person who would openly pursue a battle with someone.

“What makes you assume that? Maybe it’s something completely unrelated to fighting. For all we know, Mavis just wants us to take her sightseeing. You know she gets lonely trying to do things like that by herself.” It was somewhat sad, when she thought about it. Mavis could only be seen by guild members, so the girl couldn’t exactly go out and make new friends all that easily.

“But why would she need the entire guild for that?” Happy sat on the ground between them, looking rather pleased with his assessment. “Seems pretty weird to me. Lifelong enemy of Fairy Tail makes a lot more sense.”

“If it’s our lifelong enemy, why have we never heard of him?” She couldn’t believe their fantasies. Sometimes, she wondered if Happy and Natsu might make better stories than she did, but she dismissed it normally. Even if they were amusing, they were too insane to be believed, even as a fantasy novel.

Smirking, Natsu leaned forward and flashed his teeth in his grin. “Because! He must be a super-secret spy or ninja, unseen to all. Only Mavis knows of him…and he works in secret to sabotage our missions!” 

Looking towards Natsu, Happy tilted his head. “Does that mean he causes your motion sickness?”

Nodding eagerly, Natsu grinned at him. “Hell yes he does! Probably takes Gray’s clothes too, and he pokes Erza to make her mad at us.” Natsu shuddered at the thought, while Lucy was beginning to wonder why she bothered listening.

“Alright, I think I’ve heard enough. If you guys are done with your ridiculous story, I’m going to get some sleep.” She stared at them when they didn’t leave, narrowing her eyes. “That means you two need to get out.”

“Aww, but Lucy! Mavis promised she’d do whatever we wanted as a reward to the team that finished her job…we’d be able to make any request of her at all….” A devious smile appeared on his face as he rubbed his hands together.

Smiling eagerly, Happy began to drool. “Aye…we’re going to win and I’m going to have her catch me a lifetime supply of fish!”

“No way! I’m getting her to train me in that super-awesome secret magic Gramps uses. With the power of Fairy Tail’s strongest spells, I’ll be unstoppable!” 

“And she didn’t even hint at what kind of job it was?” The reward was intriguing, but Lucy really couldn’t think of anything she’d want from Mavis. Really, she hadn’t been in Fairy Tail long enough to hear much about their founder. Stories said she had been young when she made the guild, but most people didn’t like talking about her more than that. Considering the age of her thought projection body, Lucy could easily imagine why. She looked like a child still, likely meaning some tragedy had happened to her at a young age.

Shrugging, Natsu leaned back. “Does that even matter? I’ll just beat up whatever she needs stopped, and then that reward is ours.”

“Aye! And if it isn’t a fight, then Lucy’ll be smart enough to deal with it.”

They really were planning on using her for this. Why couldn’t they just give her one week to relax? Even just one more day would have been nice. “I’m not just doing this job for you!” She complained, running a hand through her hair. “Look, you guys—“

“But we’re a team, Lucy.” Happy interrupted her, frowning slightly. “We’ve gone on jobs to help you get your rent money. Why not help us get more fish?” The cat actually had a valid point for once, making Lucy groan. She was tired and she just wanted to write for a moment then go to sleep.

Taking her moment of silence as acceptance, Natsu seemed to grow at least a little bit more serious, his smile lessening to some degree. “Alright, so here’s the deal. Mavis was super-secretive about it today, but she says she’s announcing the job tomorrow, to everyone at the guild hall. Gramps already knows about it, and he’s already declared that it isn’t going to be some easy and simply job. So, if we don’t want to fall behind, we’ve gotta be at the guild hall tomorrow, early with everyone else.”

That meant she would be getting even less sleep. “Alright, fine. I guess it can’t be that bad. But…promise me that after this, you’ll actually let me enjoy my time off.”

Natsu grinned, holding out his hand. “It’s a deal.” He shook it, turning around towards the window with Happy jumping onto his shoulder. “I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow, Luce!” She was about to complain and tell him to use the door like a normal person when he paused, perched on the window sill with a frown. He sniffed the air, lifting his gaze for a brief moment. “Wait…something smells—“ His voice broke off, his hand lifting almost instantly towards his neck. There, Lucy could see some small object, imbedded into his skin. Flames seemed to begin to sprout around Natsu’s hands, but they quickly sputtered out as he swayed on his feet. “I feel…tired. Lucy…I think I’m just gonna…” He fell backwards, landing on her bed in a slump. As he did so, Lucy managed to approach to see what had hit him. A small dart was sticking out of his skin, and his snores entered the room.

Shaking him gently, Happy stared at Natsu with wide eyes. “Natsu? Come on, wake up! This isn’t like you…” He glanced towards Lucy, but this time, Lucy saw the dart come flying in. It hit Happy, having the same effect as before.

Reaching towards her hip, Lucy’s first instinct was to summon one of her spirits for defense. Someone was attacking her apartment, taking each of them out one by one. However, that made her remember she was still in her bath towel. Her keys were back on her belt, lying on the bathroom floor. Moving quickly, she got out of the range of her window, ducking inside the bathroom to grasp at her keys. However, that was when she heard the jiggling of her door handle. Smiling to herself, she decided to just leave them be. She had upgraded her security system recently after getting a pretty hefty reward on her last job before the Grand Magic Games. No one was going to get past that.

Finding her keyring, Lucy debated which spirit to help her. If she knew her enemy, she’d be able to pick one so much faster, but right now, all she knew was that they were attacking with some kind of sleeping magic. Or that was what it looked like, at least. As she rose to her feet, deciding to stick with one of her stronger spirits, Lucy raised the key to summon Taurus. However, in doing so she turned around and froze. Standing at the door to her bathroom was a boy that couldn’t be any older than Mavis looked. With raven black hair and startling blue eyes, Lucy’s first thought was oddly about the wasted money on her security system. However, as a prick hit her shoulder, Lucy realized she had hesitated just a moment too long. The vampiric smile on the boy’s face was the last thing she saw as he moved closer, leaning over her with a calculating look in his eyes.


	2. The Child Genius

Artemis Fowl II wasn’t known for many things. He was too young to truly achieve any renown, and in terms of personal skill level, he was not athletic nor capable of utilizing the same incredible magic power that wizards valued above all else. However, Artemis Fowl II should have been known for many things. When a cult-like group of wizards began offering a large reward to anyone capable of transporting a frozen demon, Artemis had agreed to trade them information on the spell required for the money. When another wizard was struggling with breaking the seal on an ancient spell created by a famous black wizard, Artemis had been there to give him a slight hint, for a price. His mind was his greatest asset and whenever there was a wizard struggling with a task, Artemis was willing to help so long as he received adequate compensation for his efforts.

Now, Artemis had done all of these things in secret. After all, his family was trying to reform from their former ways as dark wizards. His father had told him stories of his time in Grimoire Heart growing up, but the elder Artemis had also been cold in other ways. Considering their lavish home, it was only reasonable that Artemis Fowl I knew how to handle money. He had been a skilled wizard, ensuring his son grew up knowing how to grow their wealth and expand their empire from within the shadows. Still, he now also insisted on doing so the right way, rather than continuing on their dark origins.

The memories of his father kept Artemis lost in thought sometimes, though more so because of the fact that they fueled his plans. Just a few years ago, his father had left on a business trip. While the former owner of one of the largest companies in Fiore had fallen low, the Fowls knew opportunity when it arose. Intending on partnering with Jude Heartfilia, Artemis Fowl senior had left with the intent of funding the repurchasing of his former company and restructuring it for far more success than it ever had in the past. However, the man was never heard from again after he left.

Since that day, Artemis had been waiting. He read every article, searched for any news, always waiting to see when his father would be found. Most simply assumed he was dead. However, Artemis knew that was wrong. His father was still alive, likely being held hostage for the dark guilds that still wished to kill him to keep him silent about their secrets. Their family had enemies, and it was why they lived in such a reclusive mansion away from most of society. 

In his own airship, Artemis frowned and glanced towards his recent capture. While news of his father had not surfaced, news of another kind had brought a different plan to life. “We will be arriving in fifteen minutes, sir.” A large Eurasian man spoke, mountainous by anyone’s standards. He had been hired when Artemis was just a child, given the task of protecting the young Fowl against his father’s enemies. Since his father’s disappearance, Artemis had grown to rely on Butler for the majority of his schemes to maintain the funds for the search for his father. “Are you certain we shouldn’t have taken the boy as well?”

The reference had been to the only real unexpected occurrence in the plan. For the last few nights, Artemis and Butler had scouted out the girl’s home. He had inspected the security system inside and out, determining an efficient way around the rather remedial locking system. He could have created a better security system when he was seven. Butler had taken the time to find the best vantage point for shooting, and from there, the plan unfolded neatly. While they hadn’t expected a guest to be in the room, Artemis had grown tired of waiting for the right time and told Butler to simply take the shot then. 

Smiling down at the blond still unconscious by his side, Artemis nodded. “Indeed. One missing individual will bring moderate attention, but two would cause suspicion. The boy’s line of sight was directed towards the street below when you took the shot, and the girl’s own vantage was blocked by his form when he fell. If anyone may have seen you, it would have been their pet, but it isn’t as if a cat can reveal our identity to anyone.” 

“He still knew something was wrong, Artemis. He is a loose end.” Butler paused, looking away. “Not that I recommend harming him. It just seems…unlike you, to leave such things behind.”

It was. Perhaps he was getting too soft, letting small slip ups like that happen. He blamed his mother for it. With her constant descent into madness, she seemed to be growing even less stable every day. That meant he was growing more desperate for a miracle. If his father returned and found her in that state, he would be infuriated at the one who failed to properly care for her. It would be unacceptable, and so, a slight rush was excusable in his case. “Regardless, it is too late to return. It isn’t as if the boy can find us. Even if he is capable of tracking, we are flying, not walking. Our scents are hidden by the mode of transportation, and Fowl Manor is built to withstand all forms of magical attacks.”

Having been built by his father, Artemis actually knew the defense system rather well. Growing up, Artemis had even offered suggestions on how to improve the misdirection spells and detection spells set up around the grounds. Together, they had even found a variation on Archive Magic that allowed them to watch the surroundings of the buildings at all times, recording any motion nearby and alerting them to visitors or intruders. Other spells were designed to negate magic, using Wave Magic to cancel out nearly any spell. Some were more simplistic, simply creating a defensive dome around Fowl Manor for an indefinite period of time. All of the spells could only be activated by those that knew their secrets. Even for someone as unskilled in casting magic as Artemis, once the actual spell was set up, he could supply it with the energy necessary to begin the process.

By his side, the girl began to stir. Based on his calculations, it was probably caused by the sedative wearing off. He had realized that they hadn’t quite given her a large enough dose when he grew closer. She was a bit larger than he expected, though it didn’t hinder his plans completely. Having her awake sooner didn’t mean she could escape, after all. “Wha—“ Her head lifted, her eyes widening as she saw the boy sitting next to her. “Wait…you’re that wizard! How the hell did you even get into my apartment? You’re just a kid!”

Why did everyone have to write him off as such? With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Artemis turned towards the girl and frowned. “You’re assessment is greatly flawed. True, I am only twelve years of age, but I have theorized spells far more advanced than any you might comprehend. I’ve created teleportations spells that manage to negate the mass component of the energy requirement, utilized ethernano-detection technology in combination with topographical and archeological information to deduce the location of ancient spells forgotten to mankind, stolen black magic spells before they were even known to exist by the magic council, and all while remaining as anonymous as you and your friend from before.” He paused for a moment, glancing away. “Actually, while remaining far more anonymous than you, since I am not even associated with any known guild. To call me ‘just a kid’ is an insult. I am far more than that.”

The girl blinked at him, not even moving as her jaw opened at his declaration. Then, she snapped it shut with a glare, moving to try and sit up. She then seemed to realize that she had been bound with rope, her arms tightly pressed against her body. Artemis had taken the courtesy to ensure she had been clothed before bringing her on the plane. He hardly wanted to deal with Mother’s reaction to seeing him bringing a nude woman to the house. If she recognized him for who he was, it would be bad enough. If she thought he was his father again, that would likely be dangerous. An unstable mind within a wizard could result in unstable attacks, something Artemis had learned the last time he upset his mother by not closing the curtains in her room properly.

“You aren’t going to get away with this. Fairy Tail will stop you.”

Raising his eyebrows, Artemis glanced towards her. “Do you even know what this is?” The girl frowned, looking around and spotting Butler in his own seat across from them. She paled slightly, leaning away from the large man. It was an expected reaction to his bodyguard, but Artemis kept his expression composed. “Ms. Heartfilia, I assure you, even if Fairy Tail manages to locate you, they will be able to do nothing to stop my goals.”

She hardened her gaze, stubbornly setting her jaw. “Then you don’t know Fairy Tail.” Her brown eyes seemed to challenge him, and Artemis sighed. This girl really was tedious to deal with.

“A guild, founded in 686 by the illusionist known as Mavis Vermillion and her allies, Precht, Warrod Sequen, and Yuri Dreyar. Her three companions were all former treasure hunters, while Mavis herself an orphan from Tenrou Island. Known to have been quite prominent during the Trade Wars, Mavis lead her guild strategically against many enemies until wars between guilds were banned and made illegal. Since then, it has only continued to grow in prominence, until seven years ago when the strongest members vanished and were declared dead. However, just weeks ago, those very members appeared from no where as if by a miracle. Then, they regained their former status by winning the Grand Magic Games in Crocus.”

He had a few suspicions about that event as well, though he kept those to himself. For now, he had more than proven his knowledge of the guild, after all. “That’s not what I meant.” Lucy looked away, smiling fondly at some memory of her own. “I mean you don’t know how Fairy Tail’s members act. If you hurt one of us, the rest will come. Natsu knows something was up. He’ll find me, and then you’ll be dealing with the whole guild. Whatever you think you have to gain from me…it isn’t worth it.”

Keeping silent, Artemis ignored her this time and glanced towards Butler. His bodyguard nodded, glancing at his watch. “Five minutes, sir.” Nodding, the young boy glanced towards the window.

“Five minutes? Until what?”

Smiling, Artemis caught sight of the aerial view of his home. It was one of the few great castles left, originally built as a safe house for the royal family generations ago when war had broken out between Fiore and one of its neighboring nations. Once the war ended, Crocus was settled on as the true safe haven of the country, and the castle was sold to the public. Since then, it had passed hands between wealthy business men to renowned wizards and politicians, always going to the highest bidder. His father had purchased the manor nearly twenty years ago, making the Fowls the family with the longest hold on the building thus far. With its history forgotten, its value was slowly declining, though it still was a magnificent building designed to be one of the safest places on Earthland.

Scowling at Artemis’ lack of response, Lucy strained to lean up and see out one of the windows. She gasped slightly at the sight, staring down at the ground. “Wait…is this…an airship of some kind?” The technology had only recently begun to be developed, after all. This one was Artemis’ personal design, built in his free time when he had needed a distraction from new strategies on how to search for his father. 

“Of course. It is by far the most efficient means of travel, as well as safest due to how little air traffic there is.” 

When the plane began its descent, Lucy was still staring at Artemis, biting her lower lip. “Look…whoever you are…I don’t know what you’re after, but you clearly are looking for something involving my family. Whatever you think you can get, you’re wrong. I’m not some wealthy heiress, got it? My father went broke before he died, and I’m probably only slightly better off than he was.” There was a bitterness to her voice, though this time, Artemis could find a descent reason for such a reaction.

“I have no interest in your money. I assure you, my family has more than enough wealth on their own. A substantial amount is still being generated through our various investments in companies throughout the country as well.” Turning his head towards her, Artemis narrowed his eyes. “No…what I need you for is answers. Perhaps you weren’t there, but that does not mean you knew little of what occurred.” Knowing of his own family’s past, Artemis wondered if she even remembered this much. “Tell me, did your father ever mention the name Artemis Fowl to you?”

Blinking, Lucy actually managed to sit up successfully this time and lean back in her seat. “Fowl?” She frowned for a moment, before slowly beginning to nod. “I was just a little girl…but I remember something about it. Some competitor in the market had him really mad…I remember it because I had been playing in the hall when he began a meeting with this competitor. It had been weird because even my mother was involved in it, unlike most of my father’s business meetings. I had felt lonely, because she wasn’t there to play with me like usual.”

There was a sad smile on her face, likely remembering her mother more so than the actual event. Unlike her, Artemis had been given full details of that meeting at a young age. True, the plans had never gone forward due to the Heartfilia family’s loss of power and wealth, but his father had worked hard to gain the arrangement. “They were working on a business arrangement. Your father wished to merge companies…but Artemis knew better than to let your family benefit with nothing in return. No, he wanted more of his wealth than normal…and thus, their first arrangement was made. Really, the true argument had been with Layla, rather than Jude, but in the end, Artemis and Jude convinced her it was for the best.” 

“So that’s why…” Lucy trailed off, looking away. “Mom was crying after that meeting. I never managed to find out why…all she said was that she would explain it when I was older. That man…Artemis Fowl…he had looked so cold and detached when he saw me. It scared me, seeing those eyes smiling at me as if I was his property…it was like the way my own father looked at me after my mom died.”

Artemis knew the feeling. Still, he kept his gaze neutral as the plan finished landing, not moving to leave until he finished his tale. “Artemis Fowl was my father.” That made Lucy blink at him, her brown eyes widening for a moment. “And that meeting was about my potential future, being held before I was even born. In order to gain your family’s wealth…my father demanded that you would be my wife one day.”

Suddenly, Lucy was leaning away from him, a glare in her eyes despite her frightened pose. “Wife…so you kidnapped me, expecting me to marry you? No way in hell am I going through with that!”

Scoffing, Artemis rolled his eyes at her theatrics. “Hardly. I am only twelve, and I have no time for such distractions.” That seemed to make Lucy blink at him, slowly narrowing her eyes.

“If this isn’t about that arrangement…what is it about? Why even tell me that story in the first place?”

“Because it just may be the only meeting between our parents that you would remember.” Artemis glanced towards her, narrowing her eyes. “With such an arrangement, even you could see that more were still held.” She did scowl at his insinuated insult, but Artemis kept going. “However…only one was arranged after he lost the company. One meeting, to take place in a remote town away from both of their usual places of work. The day my father left for that meeting was the last day I saw him.”

There was a wary look in her gaze, still glaring at him from her seat. “That’s got nothing to do with me. If you think you can just blame me for your father’s disappearance, you’re wrong. I have no idea what happened to him, so you might as well just let me go.”

“But you know of your father’s former connections, do you not? He had been training you to take over for him. Regardless of if you enjoyed it or not, understanding the company was your only option as his only child.” Lucy didn’t look pleased with this, eyeing Artemis’ smile like it was an evil omen. “Now, you are going to tell me every name you can recall of who your father worked with. Regardless of if they were family, personal friends, business partners, business rivals…I want to know them all. And if that is not enough…then you will serve a different purpose. After all, as you stated yourself, Fairy Tail would do anything to get you back, would they not?” Lucy slowly began to nod, seeming to slowly be getting the idea. “Having an entire wizard’s guild joining the search for my father will make the process far more efficient. So, while I am not following through on the foolish plans made for my future, I assure you, we will be spending quite some time together, Ms. Heartfilia. You might as well get used to the sight of Fowl Manor, as you will not be leaving until my father is returned.”


	3. The Search Begins

It was barely morning when Natsu began to wake up. For a moment, he blinked around in confusion. Had he fallen asleep at Lucy’s again? Sure, her bed was more comfortable than his, but he normally didn’t sleep like this. His head had been hanging off the edge of the bed, and his legs were resting on the window sill, sideways on the bed with Happy still snoring softly on the floor. Rubbing his eyes, Natsu sat up and frowned. Then, he stilled as memories returned. There had been that smell, like someone strange was too close to Lucy’s apartment. As he tried to warn Lucy, it felt like a bee had stung his neck or something. Then, he just blacked out.

Touching his neck again, Natsu frowned as he felt nothing but smooth skin. Really, it didn’t even bother him at all. What had even happened? Lucy’s apartment now smelled like that weird person outside, which told him whoever it was broke in. Not only that, but he couldn’t smell Lucy in here either, so she must have left. Was she going to the guild hall? Or did something happen? With narrowed eyes, Natsu got up and decided there was no time to waste. If his partner was in danger, nothing would stop him from finding her and bringing her back. It was like Phantom Lord all over again, wasn’t it?

Right now, he didn’t know anything for certain. To start, he needed to head over to the guild hall. For all he knew, Lucy could have just left on her own. She did get annoyed for some reason when he slept at her place. Seriously, what was wrong with enjoying sleeping in a cozy, warm bed for once? His own bed at home was always too hard, and he never really thought about replacing it when he had the time to actually do so. 

Moving towards Happy, Natsu nudged his friend in an attempt to wake him up. “Hey, buddy. C’mon, we’ve got work to do.” The exceed simply rolled over onto his back, breathing deeply and lost in sleep. It was weird. Happy normally wasn’t such a heavy sleeper. In fact, Natsu was normally awake after his partner. Instead of thinking about it too hard, Natsu just picked the exceed up, carrying Happy out of Lucy’s room. It wasn’t like Happy was injured or anything, so he wasn’t too concerned about his state. Probably it was the result of whatever sleeping magic had hit him as well. It just hadn’t worn off yet on Happy.

Jumping out the window, Natsu quickly made his way through the streets of Magnloia to the guild hall. He was still early, considering the job that was supposed to be announced today, but that didn’t mean Fairy Tail wasn’t awake and eager to hear what was coming. He could see nearly every member of the guild inside, waiting with their respective teams to get a head start on the job. However, as Natsu inhaled deeply, he did know one thing was missing. Lucy’s scent was old in the room, meaning she hadn’t been here in a while. “Damn it…where the hell are you?” He growled under his breath, stuffing his nose into his scarf. For some reason, he had a really bad feeling about what had happened to Lucy. Someone had been inside her room, and now Lucy was gone. Whoever it was hadn’t even touched him, which meant they either didn’t realize how dangerous a dragon slayer could be, or they didn’t care. If they were that determined, Natsu knew they probably would have to put up quite a fight to get her back.

Spotting Gray leaning against the bar counter, Natsu decided to see if maybe one of her other friends had seen her. He was hoping he was just overreacting to all of this. “Oi, Grey!” The ice wizard glanced towards him, raising an eyebrow. For now, the guy actually had a shirt on, but Natsu knew that was unlikely to last for long. “You haven’t seen Lucy, have you?”

“I thought you went to tell her about Mavis’ job. Weren’t you supposed to get her to join us so we could work on it as a team again?” Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu, crossing his arms over his chest.

Scowling, Natsu glared right back at him. “Of course I did! It’s just…” Natsu frowned, unsure of how to explain it. “Something happened. At least, I think something did. When I went to leave, I smelled someone out near her house. Before I could say anything about it, I just passed out.”

“Like when Mystogan used to come around the guild?” Gray seemed to be getting more serious, not quite so hostile now that Natsu was explaining the situation. When Natsu nodded, the ice make wizard’s brow furrowed, his gaze scanning the guild. “That can’t be good. If even you didn’t sense the spell coming, then this wizard must’ve been pretty powerful.” Glancing back towards Natsu, Gray seemed to notice Happy still sleeping in Natsu’s arms. “I take it the same spell hit Happy and Lucy?”

“Dunno about Lucy. She was gone by the time I got up.” 

“So that’s why you asked about her.” Gray still looked lost in thought, though his eyes were growing dark. “What I don’t get is why they just left you and Happy lying around. Doesn’t this guy realize you’d just tell all of us about Lucy being in danger?”

Behind the bar, Mira seemed to have overheard part of their conversation. She walked over, her eyes wide with worry. “If Lucy’s gone missing, we should probably tell Master about it. The job will have to be postponed…but her safety takes priority above all else.” Glancing towards Gray, Mira actually began to frown, her concerned expression deepening. “As for why they’d leave Natsu…all I can think of is that they wanted us to hear about this. Whoever is after Lucy is almost daring us to attack them in return. In other words, they think we can’t do anything about it.”

Glaring at her, Natsu rose to his feet and clenched his teeth together. “Like hell we can’t! If this idiot thinks he’s so tough, I’ll just burn away whatever defenses he has in mind.” Flames began dancing in one of his fists as he eagerly thought about the battle. If it meant getting Lucy back, he would fight anyone. If he got the added benefit of going against someone strong, he would be even more fired up for the adventure. 

“Do you even know where to go to find her? I mean, you came right here after waking up rather than tracking her down like you normally would. Seems like you’re just as clueless about what happened as the rest of us are, even though you were right there when she was taken.” Gray’s eyebrows were raised, daring Natsu to correct him.

Raising his flaming fist towards the now-shirtless ice wizard, Natsu’s glare intensified. “You wanna say that again, Stripper? Maybe Lucy’s scent vanished a few blocks from her street, but that doesn’t mean I won’t find her.”

“Both of you need to calm down. Fighting isn’t going to help Lucy right now.” Mira spoke calmly, trying to end the fight before it could begin. However, Natsu was already angry at Gray for even thinking he’d just sit around and do nothing when Lucy was missing like this.

Stepping forward, Gray narrowed his eyes. “I’m not trying to fight! Natsu’s being an idiot about this like always. We can’t just rush in without knowing what we’re up against, or more importantly, where to even go!”

“But if we don’t go now, Lucy’s only going to be taken even farther from here!”

“And if we do leave now, we could be traveling in the opposite direction as her! Do you really want to take twice as long to find her because of that, or do you want to make an actual plan instead?”

“Like you’d be able to even figure it out! If I can’t find her, how the hell do you plan on doing it, Ice Princess?”

“By asking questions and finding witnesses, Flame Brain!”

Their shouts were growing louder, and with each one, they were getting closer. Blue and red auras seemed to surround them as their magic reacted to their agitated states, both teenagers butting heads with each shout. The fight was on the verge of starting, but that was when a familiar scarlet haired wizard approached, having overheard the escalating argument from her table where she had been trying to enjoy a piece of strawberry cake. “You two interrupted my meal with your foolish arguing!” Her angered shout was emphasized by her slamming a fist into both of their heads. 

Natsu and Gray backed away from each other, both of them muttering apologies to Erza as they rubbed their heads and avoided each other’s gaze. “Now, since you’ve already gotten me out of my seat, what is this that I’m hearing about Lucy?”

Recapping the situation, Natsu explained what had happened earlier that morning. Erza listened with her hand on her chin, nodding on occasion before turning towards Gray. “I see. In this case, I do believe Gray has the better strategy. I am sorry, Natsu, but we have too little information to go on. We cannot simply rush out in search of her without even the slightest hint of where to go.”

He knew they had a point, but Natsu was restless and impatient. There was no telling what some dark wizard would do to his friend in the time it took them to get information. “First. it is imperative that we find and speak with Master Makarov. Any attack on one of our members is an attack on the guild. Considering this happened at Lucy’s home, other members just may be in danger as well.”

With that, Erza turned and began moving through the guild, walking towards the stairs with Gray and Natsu following after. People were getting a bit excited in the guild hall, anticipating the announcement of Mavis’ job, but Natsu was no longer as eager for it as he was before. Without Lucy, the job just wouldn’t feel right. Leaving her out of something like that was wrong. After all, she had been with him on almost all of his jobs since she joined the guild, other than the ones leading up to the S-Class wizard trials. Doing one without her now would just be weird.

Thinking about her attitude last night, Natsu wondered if maybe he should let her choose the reward. Really, if she was going through all of this, she could use a bit of a reward as a way of getting back on her feet. He’d talk to the others about it later, but he kept the thought in the back of his mind as they approached where Makarov sat at the base of the stairs, with Mavis standing just behind his shoulder. “Can you believe so many people are here? I didn’t realize they’d get so excited!”

With a sigh, Makarov glanced towards Natsu and his team as he spoke. “They always get like this with competitions like this. Then again, you seem far more excited than any of these youngsters seems to be getting.” Eyeing Mavis, Natsu could see it as well. She was bouncing on her feet, a bright smile on her face that seemed to be making her eyes practically sparkle with excitement. Her hands were clapped together, and she didn’t seem capable of staying still, almost running circles around Makarov as she nodded in agreement.

“Well, why wouldn’t I be? After all, this is a very important job, one near and dear to my heart. If someone actually succeeds…oh, I can hardly imagine it!” She squealed happily, bouncing forward towards Natsu. “Anyway, I see you three are looking rather upset. Are you worried that the job will be too challenging? I assure you, there is no punishment for failure, only a reward for success!”

“This isn’t about your job.” Gray scowled at her, leaning against the railing of the stairs. “Right now, we’ve got bigger problems to deal with.”

Makarov glanced up, lifting his eyebrows at the team. “What is the problem this time? If this is just a ploy to buy some time and beat out the others in Mavis’ mission—“

“Oh, just relax, Third!” Mavis smiled, waving him off. “We’ll just take care of their job first, and delay the announcement. After all, I have been waiting for this for such a long time…it won’t hurt to wait just a little longer.” Smiling towards them, Mavis sat down on the floor, folding her legs and looking up with a smile. “Now, don’t be afraid. What has you all so worried?”

“Lucy’s been kidnapped again.” Natsu glared at them, watching Makarov’s brow furrow. His head fell to his chest, and his eyes closed for a moment. Mavis’ green eyes widened, turning towards the rest of the team before her expression hardened, looking more serious and determined than before. “Some wizard came to her house and just took her…I was right there, and I couldn’t even…” Natsu’s hands clenched into fists. While he had been annoying, Gray had a good point. If Natsu had been useless at her apartment, who said it’d change when he went after them now?

“Don’t go beating yourself up over this. None of us even had a clue that someone would be targeting Lucy. I mean, didn’t she say her family went bankrupt anyway?” Gray frowned, glancing at the others.

Erza nodded in agreement, her eyes still grave and serious. “Indeed. That only proves this is not about wealth, but about her magic. Perhaps another celestial mage is seeking to acquire the rare golden gate keys.”

Blinking, Gray glanced towards her and nodded with slightly wider eyes. “Yeah…and that would explain why they didn’t bother taking Natsu. He’s not a celestial wizard, so they wouldn’t have any interest in him.”

Glaring at them, Natsu scowled. “Are you forgetting the fact that they still knocked me and Happy out too? Not to mention the fact that Wendy was just visiting Yukino a few days ago, and that girl was fine.” They all were keeping touch with the friends they had made in the Grand Magic Games. While it wasn’t often, even Natsu stopped by Sabertooth to challenge Sting and Rogue to a battle and see if they had improved at all.

“Regardless of their intentions, Fairy Tail cannot stand by while one of our own is in danger.” Makarov interrupted before more speculations could be made. By his side, Mavis nodded in agreement, clearly lost in thought about what move to make first. “For now, we shall be postponing our guild-wide job to another date, until Lucy is safely found and returned. I want you three to begin back at Lucy’s apartment. Look for clues, no matter how small. No one is perfect, and somewhere, we just may find something that tells us exactly who took our family and where to go to bring her home.”


	4. Unexpected Hospitality

Right now, Lucy couldn’t even be amused by the irony of the kid’s last name. Fowl was one of the foulest people she had ever met, and he was still only a kid. She had nearly had a heart attack when he claimed she was supposed to be his wife. What kind of parents just did that anyway? Sure, she’d expect it out of her father, but whoever this Artemis guy was, he had to have been heartless to sell his unborn child away like that. The younger Artemis now holding her captive didn’t even seem to care.

That was the other confusing thing to keep straight. From the boy himself, she had learned that he was also Artemis Fowl. Two guys with the same name, though Lucy couldn’t help but wonder how hopeless his search really was. To go this far just to find one person was admirable in a weird way, but there were limits to what was acceptable for things like this. If Artemis had to kidnap and interrogate others to find his father, then it just wasn’t worth it. In fact, if it had been as long as the kid said it was, the elder Artemis was probably dead. 

Still, she didn’t have the heart to tell it to him. At the moment, Lucy was resting in her designated cell. Though, calling the room a cell would be a bit absurd. Artemis referred to it as such, but it was pretty impressive even for a room. From the outside, Lucy had known Fowl Manor wreaked of wealth. First of all, the entire castle-like building was surrounded by massive, thick stone walls. An iron gate was the only gap in the wall, likely controlled by something within to open. Within the borders of the wall, the castle sat in an open field, resting on high ground with hills sloping downward on all sides. With so many windows, Lucy was not surprised that the interior had more rooms than she could count. It probably even rivaled her old home’s size, which was difficult for anyone to manage.

While they had not gone anywhere near it, Lucy had seen another smaller building in the distance, still enclosed within the walls of the manor. She had sensed an odd magic from that place, but Artemis had been too concerned about guiding her inside to let her investigate it further. “Now, I am not as heartless as I seem. You have tonight to adjust, Ms. Heartfilia. Tomorrow, we will begin in earnest.” That had been all the boy told her before shutting her in this room, making her wonder exactly what to expect.

It wasn’t like she really knew anything about her father’s business. True, she did grow up hearing her father talk about nothing other than that, but it didn’t mean she payed close attention. Lucy had hated hearing about the business, and she almost always tried to convince her father to do something else. At least, that was when he actually spoke to her about anything back then. Maybe she could give Artemis a few of their competitors from back then, but it likely had nothing to do with his father. If it happened on his way to meeting Jude, Lucy was almost certain some third party was involved.

Glancing around her room, Lucy wondered how much longer she would be waiting. That monstrous man had brought her food earlier, and she still didn’t know what to make of him. He didn’t speak much, not unless Artemis asked him something. She was almost certain that he was the only reason they managed to get ahold of her. Artemis didn’t strike her as someone who would get his hands dirty, after all. Even his home was immaculate, an impressive feat considering the size. Her room was mostly occupied by a queen sized bed with a massive white canopy hanging over it. After sleeping on it, she knew that the sheer fabric gave an impression almost like clouds hanging above her head. With pale yellow walls and a light gray carpet, the room even had a bright feel to it. A single window overlooked the outside grounds of Fowl Manor, giving Lucy the wondrous view of the wall that kept her here. Even with her arms untied, Lucy wouldn’t be able to get out of this place without the help of at least Virgo. She once again couldn’t help but mourn the fact that her keys were probably still on her bathroom floor. Likely, Aquarius was going to kill her for this too. 

Sitting on the floor rather than the bed, Lucy tried to think of a way out of this. Fairy Tail would be looking for her, but Artemis had a point. It wasn’t like Natsu could track down her scent if it was miles above the ground. Were there even any other clues back in her apartment about this? Her parents hadn't even told her that she was supposed to be in an arranged marriage. The thought made her simmer for a moment, before taking a deep breath and realizing that it was probably because her mother was still trying to find a way out of it. Either way, it wasn’t like the kid seemed to have any interest in that either. Artemis was one weird kid, and right now, Lucy didn’t even know how he had managed to sneak up on her like this. 

When the door to her room opened, Lucy glanced up. Standing there, she saw Artemis and the massive man from before, walking inside. “Good afternoon, Ms. Heartfilia. Have you taken the time to grow accustomed to your accommodations?”

This kid just might have a larger vocabulary than hers. It annoyed her, just like his clean business suit did. He was wearing one yesterday too, and now that she looked closer, she could see a slightly different stitching pattern on the one he wore now. How many suits did one kid own? “As accustomed as a prisoner can get, I guess.” Lucy saw him smile, as if amused with her mild sarcasm. 

“Very good. And did you enjoy the meal I had Butler prepare for you? I do apologize if it was insufficient; without knowledge of your regular meal habits, I selected foods that contained as few common allergens as possible and then made use of common preferences in taste based on the sales of various food groups in your area.” Had he really thought that hard about making her breakfast? Lucy hadn’t really thought much of it, simply enjoying the oatmeal and not complaining. She didn’t even realize she had the right to make a request for something different.

Smirking, Lucy leaned towards the boy. “I didn’t realize you were trying to be so hospitable. After all, I am nothing more than a ransom card for you, right? Just keep me until Fairy Tail does your dirty work for you.” She saw him purse his lips, his blue eyes flashing towards her for a moment.

“I suppose things could turn that direction, however I do hope you will be more cooperative. Would you really wish for your friends to encounter the same danger my father was facing?” Considering it was only one man that had been taken, Lucy was more than confident that Fairy Tail could deal with it. “Now, for future reference, would you mind complying and providing us a list of any food allergens to keep in mind while preparing your meals? Also, any preferences and dislikes would be acceptable.” Artemis held out a pen and paper, leaving Lucy blinking at him in surprise. He wasn’t seriously asking her to do this, right? It just wasn’t normal kidnapper behavior. It almost made Artemis seem like he had a conscience to some degree.

Deciding that she actually wouldn’t mind having some say in her meals, Lucy took the pen and paper and began writing. “Fine. It’s not like you can do any harm with the information anyway.” Pausing, Lucy frowned as she remembered something in his earlier comment. “And do you really know someone named Butler? Isn’t that just a job title or something?”

The large man standing by Artemis smiled down at her. “Actually, that is my name. My family has been serving as bodyguards for generations, and it is tradition for us to only be known by our last name.” That seemed to bring back some slight memories. Lucy had read something about the Butlers once, in Sorcerer Weekly. The magazine had done a special on the entire family, featuring them and their magic for the edition. Basically, the Butlers were always high in demand. No wizard could defeat them in battle, and their combat skills were legendary. Rumors stated that even the wizard saint Jura had attempted to spar with one of them as a training exercise, but he had been defeated in minutes.

Knowing that this man was a Butler made Lucy stiffen, leaning back slightly. That explained the kid’s confidence, at least. “Oh…you were one of the Butlers featured in that edition…” Looking at him now, she could almost recognize his features. While his hair in the magazine had been almost bald, he now seemed to have a slight amount of blond hair growing on his head. She wanted to say he had grown, but really, it was hard to tell as he had been just as monstrous in the magazine as he was in front of her now. From what she could remember, he was a requip mage, but any details beyond that were kept hidden due to the nature of their profession.

“Indeed, so I suppose I do not need to waste time explaining the various methods my companion can utilize to…convince you to be more forthcoming?” Artemis’ comment was accented with a smile while Lucy hugged her legs tighter to her chest. He was almost scarier than Butler, and he hadn’t even done anything beyond talk. “Good. Now, if you would pass your requests towards Butler, we can begin in proper.” No longer feeling as comfortable in irritating the kid, Lucy simply nodded and handed the sheet over. Butler folded it and placed it in his pocket, standing guard at the door behind his charge. “First off, I wish to clarify a few things. Seven years ago, all accounts state you vanished entirely. Some even state that you and your companions had perished. Yet, clearly that is not the case. What I wish to know is what truly happened. It will help ascertain if you can even provide me with relevant information on the matter at hand.”

That wasn’t something she wanted to remember further. Not only was Grimoire Heart bad enough, but she had been so convinced that they were all about to die together when Acnologia came. “I…that’s a bit of a long story.”

Artemis took a seat on the ground in front of her, nodding and frowning slightly. “I did not expect otherwise. Considering the circumstances, I do believe we have plenty of time as well.” 

Avoiding his gaze, Lucy frowned and nodded. “Right. Well, I guess what you’re really asking about is the end of it all. Our guild had been working on our S-Class wizard trials. Then, the island we were performing the trials on was attacked. A dark guild known as Grimoire Heart arrived—“ 

“Grimoire Heart?” Artemis sat up straighter, his eyes locking onto hers. “Are you certain this is the guild that came?”

Nodding, Lucy smiled. “Yeah, one of the most powerful dark guilds in existence. Doesn’t surprise me that you’ve heard of them.” The boy looked away, his brow furrowing. For a moment, he looked stressed. Then, he seemed to gain his composure after just a moment, nodding and returning his focus to her.

“Of course, pardon my interruption. The name simply surprised me, that is all.” However, Lucy had a feeling there was more to it than that. This kid was too good at controlling his expressions for that minor slip to come from something small like a name.

Keeping her suspicions to herself, Lucy nodded and continued on. “Anyway, our guild members were fighting them. Grimoire Heart had come…well, I guess that’s where things kinda get ridiculous. Supposedly, they came for the legendary Black Wizard Zeref, believing he was alive and on our guild’s island.” There was a very faint smile on Artemis’ face, likely due to the fact that Lucy had seemed to miss his slip up earlier. “A lot of people were hurt in those battles…but in the end, we won. We thought that was the end of it…defeating Grimoire Heart…but we couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Taking a deep breath, Lucy tried to pull her mind out of the flashing memories of black scales and that roaring voice echoing in the air. “A different enemy came, one that no one could possibly survive against. Acnologia…an actual dragon attacked Tenrou Island. In order to keep ourselves alive, one of the three great spells of the guild was activated: Fairy Sphere. It protected us, but the energy it took…it made the entire island vanish out of time for seven years. For us, it felt like the attack had been just yesterday, but to everyone else…we had been missing for so long.”

“So you truly are unaware of recent events.” Artemis paused for a moment, frowning. “And Grimoire Heart…you claim they’ve been defeated. Does that mean they are dead, or simply disbanded?”

“You think a guild like that has some interest in your father?” Considering what they did, it was unlikely. “It’s not like your family is filled with big shot wizards, kid. Grimoire Heart wouldn’t bother with someone like him.”

The boy did not reply, instead narrowing his eyes slightly. “That was not an answer to my question, Ms. Heartfilia.”

Rolling her eyes, Lucy shrugged. “Whatever. I guess just disbanded. I mean, Fairy Tail may be violent and destructive, but we aren’t that out of line. I don’t think any of us has intentionally killed an enemy before, not even one like Grimoire Heart. Since I haven’t heard anything about them since returning, I’m guessing they fell apart after their attempt to take us down on Tenrou Island.”

“And any business contacts of your father…I suppose that makes them irrelevant, since you would not be aware of anything from more recent years.” Artemis pinched the bridge of his nose, rising to his feet. “Regardless, I suppose I must thank you for your time, Ms. Heartfilia. You’ve given me much to think about…though I do believe it just may be time for your friends to play their part in the search as well.” Before Lucy could object, Artemis nodded towards Butler and the two began to leave the room. Thinking back to her words, Lucy wondered exactly what kind of hint she had given him. If Grimoire Heart had disbanded, why was he so interested in them? What made him think his father had some connection to a guild as dark as theirs? More importantly, how was she going to stop him from endangering her friends by sending them on some insane mission to find a man that was likely dead?


	5. An Unusual Message

It had been a week since Lucy was taken. Natsu didn’t know how much more time he could waste just wandering around town looking for clues that weren’t there. Neighbors didn’t see anything, the people that ran the canal tours right in front of her apartment had no idea she was even missing, and there wasn’t even a lingering trace of some magical signature back at her apartment. Overall, it was as if nothing had happened, and they were no where closer to figuring out what had happened or where Lucy was.

After getting the rest of the guild on board with the search, everyone had fanned out. Natsu and his team focused near Lucy’s house, while other teams checked out areas further out in Magnolia. There hadn’t even been weird tourists in town that looked suspicious to anyone. With nothing to go on, Natsu was sitting in Lucy’s apartment again, scowling at the floor. He hadn’t told anyone where he was going. After all, the apartment had been the first place they searched for clues. Really, Natsu didn’t even know why he came here. Her scent was already fading from the room, and there was only a faint hint of it telling him she had gone somewhere towards the canal before it vanished almost completely. Part of him wondered if she got in some vehicle or something, but even then he should have been able to smell her. More likely, someone knew about his ability to track her scent and found a way around it. This enemy knew them well, and it annoyed Natsu to realize just how powerless he was when facing an enemy that wasn’t right in front of him. Sure, he was good in a fight, but he couldn’t do anything about solving puzzles like Levy could. Hell, Gray and Erza were better at them than he was, not that he’d ever admit it to them.

Happy was on the bed, now awake after whatever that spell had been put him to sleep. He even looked dejected, his ears down and a frown on his face as he gazed around the room. “It sure does feel different without Lucy here.” Happy’s voice sounded a bit sad, having lost some of its cheerful tone with the weight of their current situation.

Nodding, Natsu leaned forward on the couch, resting his hands on his knees. “This shouldn’t have happened. Damn it! Why the hell didn’t I just find that bastard right when I smelled ‘em? It would have kept Lucy here…she wouldn’t be scared, somewhere where we can’t even find her.”

“It’s not your fault, Natsu.” Happy flew over to his side, landing on the couch and staring over at his friend. “No one knew that Lucy was being targeted. It wasn’t like she had made anyone mad recently. None of our jobs were ones that would make enemies willing to track her down like this…and even if you knew it was coming, neither of us realized someone could knock us out like that so quickly.”

Snorting, Natsu shook his head. “And now I can’t even track her down. What kind of spell hides someone’s smell? I mean, it’s not something most people realize needs to stay hidden, after all.”

“Dunno, but it must be one powerful wizard. Either that, or its just been too long since Lucy was here for you to smell her around.”

Happy had a valid point. He should have tried tracking her scent right away, but he had ignored his instincts. He thought she might have been fine, just at the guild hall since he had stolen her bed for the night. When he knew he was wrong, it had already been too late. While he had been able to follow the scent farther than he could now, it still had seemed to vanish just on the outskirts of town. “Well, what about now? I mean, if it was Lucy searching, she’d have found something by now. She was always good at those kinds of jobs…finding clues and putting them together.”

“Aye.” Happy glanced at the ground, before trying to lighten the mood somewhat. “Probably comes from all those books she reads. Right? I mean…if she reads books about solving mysteries, maybe it helps her figure out how to actually solve them. Maybe you could do the same! Then you’d both be super detectives!”

Natsu smiled for a moment, about to agree with him. Then, his smile faltered and he slouched back into the cough, groaning and leaning his head back. “But Levy read all those books too! If she can’t find Luce, what good will I be after reading those too? I’d probably just spend too much time trying to read them anyway. You know I’ve never really been fast at that kind of thing.” Right now, wasting time was the last thing he wanted to do as well.

“Well, why not try and look on the bright side? Maybe Lucy just took a vacation or something.” Happy was trying to calm him down, which was usual for his partner. However, this was just something that even Happy couldn’t fix for him.

“I’d still be able to find her if that was the case.”

“Well, what if she didn’t want you to? She’s always complaining about us breaking into her room…” Happy trailed off, sitting up straighter with wide eyes. “Oh no! Do you think Lucy quit the guild because of us? I don’t want to be at fault for losing Lucy! If she comes back, I promise to never try and find fish in her home again.”

His whining made Natsu stiffen as well. With how well hidden her scent was, it somewhat made sense. Lucy was smart, and she knew about his magic. If she didn’t want Natsu finding her, he didn’t doubt that she’d find a way for it to happen. However, that also made himself feel oddly cold. Sure, she yelled at him, but she never looked that angry. Had he really misinterpreted things so much? Did Lucy actually hate him? He thought they were friends. In fact, there wasn’t anyone else at the guild that Natsu would rather spend time with, other than Happy. If she left because he had bothered her about that job, he would never forgive himself.

Part of him wanted to tell Happy that it wasn’t possible. He wanted to say Lucy would never leave Fairy Tail, but at the same time, it wasn’t looking like anyone had actually attacked her here. There were no signs of a struggle, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he had found her keys in the bathroom, he would have assumed she left on his own a long time ago. However, if she was quitting the guild, would she really need them anyway? Maybe Lucy didn’t even want to be a wizard anymore, so she left those behind too,

Getting to his feet, Natsu began moving towards the bathroom again. He had left them where they were, thinking that she’d get mad at him if he took them at the moment. However, he no longer cared. If Lucy was trying to avoid him, he’d take the challenge and find her anyway. He’d glue those keys to her side if it convinced her that she was not leaving. No matter how wrong it seemed, Fairy Tail just wouldn’t be the same without her. It would feel like it had when he thought Lisanna was gone, like a vital part of him had just been ripped away. He wasn’t going through that again. So, he was bringing her back, and doing whatever it took to convince her that it as the right thing to do.

Lifting the keyring in his palm, Natsu stared at the gold and silver keys in the light of the room. Really, they didn’t look like anything special. However, he knew how important these were to Lucy. Grabbing her belt with them so he had something to hook them onto, Natsu wrapped it around his own waist and attached the hook. It felt weird, feeling them bump into his hip on occasion, but at least they would be out of the way if he got into a fight. No matter where he found Lucy, he’d be able to give them back to her now.

As he turned to leave, his hand on the doorknob, Natsu froze as he smelled something weird in this place. That weird scent was back, and this time, there were two of them. Unlike earlier this week, this smelled recent, like whoever had taken Lucy had just returned. Turning his head back around, Natsu scanned the room. As he did, a light seemed to flash, and a lacrima seemed to roll across the floor. An image was projected over the spherical object, of what looked like a kid about Wendy’s age standing in a business suit. For some reason, he looked like a child version of those guys in Blue Pegasus, always following Ichiya around.

It was an illusion, but suddenly, heat returned to Natsu’s body. He could feel his magic energy churning, growing restless as rage ignited within him. This was the face of the person that took her. She hadn’t left after all. Fire danced in his fists at the realization, though he knew he couldn’t touch whoever it was. “Greetings. If you are viewing this, then you are likely a member of the guild known as Fairy Tail, searching for clues as to the disappearance of the wizard known as Lucy Heartfilia. After coming to the conclusion that no such clues exist, you foolishly returned to the first place you began, beginning the process over again in the futile hope that you can salvage something from a situation completely beyond your control.”

He had an arrogant way of speaking that only made Natsu wish he could attack the brat even more. “After realizing your ally had no helpful information, my own plans have altered to one that will likely prove more effective. As of today…Fairy Tail is being given a new job, following orders directly from me.” 

“Like hell we are!” Natsu growled back at him, expecting to not be heard. However, the boy chuckled in amusement, an odd glint in his eyes telling Natsu that he was wrong.

“Interesting. It appears as if you have already assumed you have a choice in the matter. Perhaps this will change your mind.” The boy nodded, and as if from thin air, Natsu saw Lucy appear. He sucked in a sharp breath, seeing her body bound by thick ropes. Tape was shoved over her mouth, and a blindfold was covering her eyes. Behind her, all Natsu could see was the chest of whoever was dragging her into view, but really, all he cared about was the fact that she was still breathing and alive. “As you can see, I am the one responsible for Lucy’s disappearance. Your cooperation will affect her well-being, as well as determine if you will ever see her in person again or not.” With another nod, Lucy was jerked away, dragged out of sight again.

It didn’t matter what he wanted. This kid was going to pay for treating Lucy like that. The flames in his hands grew stronger, warming up the room as he crouched and glared at the lacrima displaying the image of the kid. As he did so, Happy flew into the room. “Natsu? What’s taking you so long? I’m getting bored looking through Lucy’s things, we might as well try—“ He broke off, his eyes wide at the sight of the kid in the room. “Is that a communication lacrima? Who’s the kid?”

Before Natsu could answer, the kid seemed to tilt his head. “I suppose I should have expected something unusual when facing a wizard’s guild. Perhaps I should look more into how magic affects animals, if one can speak.” Happy seemed to freeze, covering his mouth with his hands when he realized the child heard him. “As your your question, I am Artemis Fowl the Second, and I am the one who decides if Lucy Heartfilia lives or dies.”

“Wait…so Lucy didn’t leave because I took her fish?” Happy blinked at him, while the child actually looked puzzled for once.

After a moment, the kid seemed to shrug it off, focusing once again on his actual purpose for the message. “Whatever assumptions you made about your companion’s absence are clearly flawed. As I am the one who orchestrated her disappearance, I can assure you that you will find no clues as to her current location, nor will you even find hints at what direction she traveled in. While you are free to continue your attempts at locating her, I assure you they will all fail. The only way you will retrieve her is through completing the job I have to deliver to your guild. Now, I will ask you, are you going to accept my offer, or am I simply wasting my time?”

There was a pause, while Natsu thought it over. Glancing towards Happy, he could see the exceed looking worried and meeting his gaze. “Natsu…with the way things have been going, this may be our only shot at getting her back.” He agreed, but it didn’t sit well with him.

Turning back to Artemis with a glare, Natsu put the flames out and crossed his arms over his chest. “Let’s just make this clear. You’re saying you’re offering our guild a job, and Lucy’s the reward?” 

“A rather unusual way of putting it, but true nonetheless. Details will be provided upon acceptance of the task, and if you feel the need for outside aid, you are more than welcome to appeal to your fellow guild members.” He paused, clasping his hands in front of him. “I am quite aware of the fact that most wizards work in teams to accomplish missions, and if it ensures a hastier result, I hold no complaints about such matters.”

“You make it sound like you aren’t a wizard at all.” Happy sniggered at that, landing on Natsu’s shoulder with a grin.

Meeting his gaze steadily, Artemis smiled. “Perhaps I am not skilled, but that does not mean I do not comprehend the methodology behind most spells.”

That made Natsu become still. Lucy had been taken by someone without magic? Just what kind of a threat were they looking at then? Natsu felt on edge, and suddenly, that smile looked almost demonic in a way. There was nothing kind about this kid, and he had no sense of right and wrong. “But…what was with that sleeping spell then? The one that you used on Natsu and me!”

“A sedative. In a world where so many rely on magic for everything, it becomes quite easy to disguise old, common place methods as magic.” Artemis looked rather pleased with his explanation, focusing back on Natsu. “Now, if we are done speaking of my genius efforts on capturing your ally, are you ready to agree to my terms?”

Slowly, Natsu clenched his hands into fists, his jaw tensing with them. “Fine. We’ll do your stupid job, and if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain—“

“Fairy Tail will come for me? I assure you, Lucy has made the same claim. Yet, here I still stand, one week later, with no signs of invasion from your guild. If you were capable of such a thing, I would have seen evidence already. No, based on the fact that you are searching her apartment again, a week after she has gone missing, I can safely assume that you know nothing about why she is gone and where she has been taken.” Natsu wanted to shout that he was wrong, but the kid was dead on. He was almost as smart as Levy, maybe even smarter if he could read their situation so quickly. “Now that you’ve accepted, I suppose it is time to get down to business. Fairy Tail is in charge of locating my father and returning him to me. The moment he is found, contact me and I will arrange for a time and place for us to trade—Lucy for him.”

“If that’s all you wanted done, why didn’t you just put in a job request sooner? Seems like you’re putting in a lot of effort for nothing.” Happy frowned at him, while Natsu still worked on controlling his growing anger. This kid already tried to talk like he was better than everyone else. If he was able to track down Lucy to her home, he should have been able to find one man just fine on his own.

Clasping his hands together, Artemis’ eyes seemed to gain an odd glint to them. “Two reasons. One, the magic council has declared that my father is dead. Due to the fact that he disappeared three years ago, and the fact that he has not been seen since, it was a reasonable assumption on their part. However, they do not know my father like I do. I assure you, he is alive, and you will find him one way or another.”

Blinking, Natsu realized something was missing in there. “Wait…you said two reasons. I mean, I guess that one makes sense, but why else can’t you just put in a job request?”

That made the boy narrow his eyes, for a moment looking irritated. “That is my own business, and none of your concern. For now, I suggest you focus more on beginning the search, rather than interrogating me on my methodology. Or would you prefer to wait until Ms. Heartfilia is nearing the end of her natural life to see her again?” That made Natsu’s glare return, nearly making his flames come out again as well. Seeing his reaction, the boy’s lips curved slightly upwards. “An excellent choice.” Natsu had said nothing, but his reaction apparently made the child assume a response. “Now, as I find repeating myself quite tedious, bring the lacrima to whatever group you believe will be aiding you in this task. Once this is done, you will be provided with adequate information to begin.” With that, the boy seemed to sit down somewhere, growing silent as Natsu stepped forward and did as he asked. If it meant getting Lucy back, he didn’t care. Once this little trade of his was set up, then Natsu would show him just what happened when someone messed with Fairy Tail.


	6. A Demand for Family

Getting to the guild hall from Lucy’s actually took less time than it did for Natsu to get there from his own house. Living so far away from town made it rather inconvenient to stop by, but he liked it. Being out in the forest gave him some solitude and helped him get away from all the noise and weird smells of the city. While he loved his magic, having the senses of a dragon could make it really hard to sleep in busy places like Magnolia. So, his secluded house with Happy was perfect in that regard. When he needed a break, Lucy’s apartment was at least isolated from the more tourist-occupied areas of town, so it wasn’t always keeping him on edge to be there.

With the lacrima in hand, Natsu walked into the guild hall. Happy flew just behind him, unusually silent. Neither of them really knew what to say, after all. Artemis didn’t talk, and Natsu didn’t want to risk angering him further and getting Lucy hurt as a result. So, he decided to just stay silent and listen. The issue with that was the fact that Artemis seemed content with the silence. What kind of kid didn’t want to at least say something? For whatever reason, it actually looked like he was used to it. Something about the way his projected image sat gave Natsu the impression that he was relaxed. The kid was comfortable, and it irked Natsu to see how confident he was in this plan. He wanted to be able to say Artemis wouldn’t pull it off, but right now, he wasn’t so sure.

Inside of the guild hall, a few members were notably absent. Natsu knew they were probably out looking for Lucy some more. Levy and her team had been one of the most eager groups to help theirs. With their mutual interest in books, Lucy and Levy really did get along quite well. After that, the more notable missing members were Lisanna and Elfman, along with Alzack and Bisca. As a result, the guild seemed quieter than normal, and it made Natsu scowl as he walked towards the back corner of the guild. Gray, Erza, and Wendy were gathering there, probably trying to come up with some idea on how to move forward next.

Glancing towards the lacrima in his hand, Artemis narrowed his eyes. “If I decide I want help later on, you’re not gonna complain, right? It’s not like you’ll have to do the explaining then, after all.”

His words seemed to stir the boy from some kind of trance. It took Artemis a moment to focus again, frowning towards Natsu before sighing. “I suppose I see little harm in the endeavor. Inform as many guild members as you wish on the matter, but do not seek outside aid. This is a job for Fairy Tail alone, and I am not keen on the idea of this matter spreading further. After all, it would be rather irritating to have my name become known as little more than some common criminal.”

“No offense, but you kinda actually are.” Happy glanced towards Artemis, while Natsu nodded in agreement. “I mean, kidnapping is illegal, and you’ve kidnapped Lucy. Plus, it’s not really that uncommon of a crime…she’s even been kidnapped before, too. So…” Happy trailed off, seeing Artemis’ eyes narrowing towards him. By then, Natsu had set the lacrima down on the table in front of Gray,Erza, and Wendy, startling the three wizards from the conversation they had been involved in.

“If you wish to be technical about such tedious matters, I can do the same.” Happy frowned at him, while Artemis smiled, his teeth flashing. Natsu was surprised the kid didn’t have fangs with the way he was behaving like some creepy vampire would. “Now, you have taken a magical lacrima from a home that was not yours, correct?” Blinking, Happy glanced towards Natsu.

“I took it, you idiot! Stop trying to bother us and just spit out what you want?”

Frowning towards him, Erza crossed her arms over her chest. “Natsu, that is not the way to speak to your…guest.” She paused for a moment, frowning towards him. “What is this even about? We have far more pressing matters to deal with than some conversation with a child.”

Likely, Artemis had heard her, but he seemed intent on finishing his earlier point. “Very well, Natsu took the lacrima. Regardless, did either of you have permission to enter that apartment from its owner?” 

“No, but Lucy never minds! We’re a team, so Natsu and I stop by all the time.”

Happy’s response seemed to make the boy’s smile deepen. “And is that not trespassing? Perhaps she never wished to punish you for your actions, but were they not illegal as well?” Happy’s mouth opened to object, before he shut it with wide eyes, realization dawning on him.

“But…but…Natsu, we’re criminals! Why did we ever break into Lucy’s apartment? We’re going to go to jail and they won’t feed me any good fish there!”

“Shut up you dumb cat.” Gray scowled at him, shirtless and leaning over the table. “We’re in the middle of trying to talk about something actually important. Like how to find Lucy so we can get back to our normal lives, alright? If you want to argue about stupid things like that, take your lacrima and get out.”

“We’re talking to this kid because he’s the one that took Lucy.” Natsu glared towards Gray, watching the ice wizard roll his eyes.

“Don’t believe whatever story he has to tell you. There’s no way some kid could manage something like that.”

Blinking, Wendy stared at him and tilted her head. “Well…I don’t know. Maybe he could have…I mean, it’s possible he caught Lucy by surprise.”

“Ms. Heartfilia is a celestial wizard with blond hair and brown eyes. Her height is rather average for a seventeen year old female, and she weighs 104 pounds. Favorite foods include chocolate, peaches, and citrus fruits. She has a mild allergy to cranberries, though as uncommon as that fruit is, it is unlikely she has encountered many foods she cannot consume as a result. While Natsu has already witnessed my possession of your companion, the rest of you will have to be satisfied with knowing that there is no possible method of understanding such personal information of Lucy’s without being the one in contact with her currently.”

Artemis’ calm explanation left the others staring at him in silent observation. Gray was leaning back, his eyes wide for a moment before glancing towards Natsu. “He…he can’t be. If he has Lucy…then why can’t we figure out who the hell he is? Why would he even want her anyway?”

“If he is here, I am under the impression he plans on providing us with that explanation.” Erza’s eyes were narrowed, suddenly fierce with the threat to their friend’s life.

Playing with her hair, Wendy bit her lip. “Plus…I don’t think it really matters. I mean, so long as we find her and she's okay, everything should end up alright.” She glanced towards Artemis, seeing the other child meeting her gaze for a moment. Then, the young genius turned back towards the others, his gaze studying each of them closely as well.

“I will admit, I did not expect your team to be quite so…inexperienced.”

“You wanna say that again, brat?” Gray rose to his feet, leaning over the table with a glare. Cold radiated from his skin, his irritation spiking.

Erza’s glare intensified as well, but Wendy stepped forward and placed a had on Gray’s arm. “This isn’t going to help anything. He’s just an image at the moment, nothing more than magic energy. Attacking him here won’t hurt him, and it won’t bring us any closer to finding Lucy.” Taking a breath in between his teeth, Gray rose and kept his glare focused on Artemis. As he did so, Wendy moved to meet the young boy’s calm gaze, her brown eyes focused. “As for you…a lack of experience does not mean a lack of strength. If it means getting our friend back, we will succeed, I promise you that.”

“I meant no offense by my words, nor did I ever claim you were incapable. Inexperienced means exactly that, those with less experience. Even I would be considered the same, simply due to a younger age. My words were simply expressing the fact that I expected to see older faces, that is all.” Wendy nodded, while Gray glanced towards Natsu with a frown.

“What kind of wizard is he, even? I mean, he stopped you from tracking him down, right?” His voice was a whisper, leaning towards Natsu who’s frown deepened. 

Keeping his mouth buried in his scarf, Natsu tried to stay quiet as he replied. “He isn’t one. He claims he just knows how it works, not how to actually use magic himself.”

That made Gray blink at Natsu, while Artemis cleared his throat to interrupt their whispered conversation. “I will ask that you please listen to the request in full. Ignoring me would be unwise, considering what is at stake.” That made Natsu simmer further, his eyes narrowing while the scarf concealed the way he practically barred his teeth at the image of the kid in front of him. “Now, with it already being established that your guild is incapable of locating myself and retrieving your companion, I am here to present my terms, if you will. Nearly all hostage situations involve some form of ransom demand, and while this is a bit…unusual in that regard, the concept remains the same.”

“Hostage? I was not aware that you were considering putting Lucy’s life at risk.” Erza frowned at him, while Artemis nodded towards her.

“If it proves to be effective method for motivating you, I will do whatever is necessary.” Erza simply nodded, shifting her weight to her other foot. “Now, my only request for her return is not gold. No, I have other methods of obtaining wealth, I assure you of that.” There was a dark look on his face, and Natsu began to think maybe they really didn’t want to know everything this kid was involved in. “What I desire is my father. More accurately, his safe return, in exchange for your friend.”

“While I love the whole ‘keeping us in suspense thing’, I think I’d prefer you just telling us everything straight.” Gray took his seat again, leaning back in the chair. “No offense, but we don’t have time to just beat around the bush. Lucy’s in danger, or she could be if we piss you off. We don’t have your old man, and you likely know it too. So, why don’t you stop wasting all of our time and just tell us what we need to know to find him?”

There was a slight narrowing of Artemis’ eyes, but he ultimately nodded. “Impatience is not wise, but I suppose there is little benefit in delaying things further. As for my father, his name is Artemis Fowl and he disappeared three years ago, while leaving for a business meeting with Jude Heartfilia.”

“Jude? Isn’t that Lucy’s father?” Gray glanced towards Natsu, who sat down and nodded, looking more thoughtful than angry for once. In a way, it explained why he took Lucy rather than someone else. For once, one of the kid’s comments made things less confusing rather than more of a mess.

However, Happy seemed to see a different issue in the comment. “Wait…but I thought you said you were Artemis Fowl! How can there be two of you?”

Blinking, Artemis looked almost at a loss for words. “I…are you unaware of traditional naming conventions? I introduced myself as Artemis Fowl II, as in the second with such a name. Logic would tell you that there was another with the name before me, though until now, it could have just as easily been my grandfather or uncle with such a name.”

“So…he’s Artemis.” The child nodded, while Happy still seemed to be working it out. “And you’re Artemis…” Another nod. “Does that mean he just couldn’t think of what to name you when you were born? Seems like he was pretty lazy about the whole thing.”

“Happy!” Wendy grabbed the cat, glancing toward Artemis with pink on her cheeks. “Sorry…he’s not usually like this. I don’t think he means anything by it, Mr. Fowl.”

“If one expects normalcy from a talking cat, I do think one would find themselves insane from even speaking to such a creature.” Artemis looked more amused than anything, while Wendy smiled in relief. “Now, with that settled, shall I continue?” 

“Please. If we are to search for this man in order to get Lucy back, we need to know every detail you have on his disappearance.” Even Erza took a seat, finishing off their circle surrounding the round table Artemis’ lacrima sat on top of.

Nodding, Artemis took a deep breath, his smile fading rather quickly. “I wish I could provide you with more, but unfortunately I cannot provide such details. The story is as simple as that. No one has seen him since, and no witnesses were present to observe his disappearance. Even Mr. Heartfilia did not see him, not even for the meeting they were meant to have that day.”

With wide eyes, Gray leaned forward. “Wait…that’s it?” When Artemis didn’t reply, he scowled at the lacrima. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. That’s an impossible job! No one, not even the magic council could find him with as little information as that!”

“We’d probably be better off simply searching for Lucy with such information as well…” Erza frowned, while Artemis narrowed his eyes.

“While I have little information about the event, that does not mean I cannot provide a place to start.” That made their attention snap back towards him, seeing Artemis narrow his eyes. “Now, what I am about to speak about does not get mentioned to anyone not working with your group to locate my father. If I come to see you’ve broken this agreement…things will not bode well for Lucy.” 

Natsu hadn’t seen a look as dark as that on his face since Artemis refused providing his second reason for not posting an official job about this. When the others slowly began to nod in agreement, Artemis nodded. “My father has many enemies, due to his recent decisions in life. In fact, you could say it started generations ago in my family.” 

“So…your father’s enemies are responsible for him vanishing?” Wendy tilted her head, frowning at Artemis.

“Based on Ms. Heartfilia’s own account of recent events…my original assumption about such a thing may be incorrect. However, it does not change that it is still the most likely explanation.” He seemed to frown, looking thoughtful as he gazed towards something away from all of them. “My father…no, my ancestors, were all members of Grimoire Heart. I am descended from a long line of dark wizards, all of us always hiding ourselves in plain sight. Now, my family was never involved in some of the more prominent groups of the guild, but that did not mean we were not vital to the inner workings.”

“That…he couldn’t have been…” Wendy was leaning back, her brown eyes wide.

Erza paled at his comment as well, stiffening with a frown. “Grimoire Heart…they attacked us on Tenrou Island not long ago.”

Gray’s head was inclined, and even Happy looked dejected at the memory. “As I stated before, my family was vital in the inner workings of the guild. My father was actually one of the wizards working on the mission that brought them to your guild’s island. In fact…I am almost certain that the Seven Kin of Purgatory would never have found Tenrou Island without my father’s aid.” It wasn’t exactly making Natsu feel any better about tracking the guy down, hearing all of this. “However…things began to change, seven years ago. Granted, I was still quite young and my memories of events are unclear, but I knew something was different. My father was home more often than he used to be, my mother seemed happier, and a bit more demanding than before…and they began working on strengthening old spells on our home that had long been abandoned, attempting to make the defense stronger.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Gray sat up straighter. “No way…he left the guild. That idiot actually thought Grimoire Heart would just let him quit, didn’t he?”

“Not an idiot. My father actually succeeded, and in that regard, my entire family vanished from history. With some effort, my father committed his last act as a dark wizard, breaking into Era to destroy any remaining files on his past with the guild. Grimoire Heart forgot about him, as he was not one of their more prominent fighters and they were nearing the completion of a much larger project than him at the time. However…three years ago only proves that he was not forgotten. Someone knew about him, and his connection to the guild. Perhaps they desired his knowledge on the subject he aided Grimoire Heart with…perhaps they were a satellite guild following Grimoire Heart, hoping to silence him on their secrets…or even a former member that was angered by the disbanding of the guild. Regardless of the case, his history as a former dark wizard leaves my entire family with far more enemies than you might think. Search through connections to that guild if you wish to know just who may have taken him.”

“And what if we still don’t have a clue after that?” Gray leaned forward, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not saying we won’t try, but if it seriously was some freak robbery gone wrong…you don’t honestly expect us to solve a case that’s had no clues for years, right?”

There was an odd look in Artemis’ eyes. He seemed to be staring at something down the hall, his body growing stiff for a moment. “I…perhaps not.” He had grown quiet, and for the first time, Natsu could actually see the boy as the kid he actually was. He spoke like an arrogant jerk, dressed like some fancy rich business man, and he acted like he didn’t care about anything. However, right now with his eyes wide and innocent, he almost looked like the frightened and lonely child most people would expect to see from someone who lost their father at his age. 

It lasted for only a brief moment, before Artemis closed his eyes and swallowed. He didn’t even turn to look back at them, remaining still wherever he actually was. “Still, we have no other options. I cannot find my father without the help of wizards, just as you cannot find Lucy without my aid. Should you need to contact me…activate the lacrima you now hold. A small amount of magical energy should suffice in establishing the link. Otherwise…it appears as if I have business to attend to. Good evening, wizards of Fairy Tail. I wish you luck on your job.” With that, the light vanished and the image of Artemis went with it. Staring at it, Natsu began to wonder just what they really were getting into. As much as he wanted to hate the kid for what he was doing, he couldn’t help but relate. Really, if it helped him find Igneel, would he have been willing to do something like this? After a while, his mind said no, but his initial reaction told him yes. Maybe if he never found Fairy Tail, he would have become a lot like that kid. As a result, Natsu found it hard to hate Artemis, no matter how much he wanted to hate the kid for taking Lucy away and threatening his friends.


	7. Inherited Plans

Really, the whole being tied up thing was getting old. Artemis needed to decide one way or another, because Lucy hated the idea of it. When she had woken up that morning, she had been bound again, after an entire week of freedom. Had she even attempted to leave? No, because she wasn’t stupid. She had no magic, and no weapons to use to get out. So, she had settled in for the ride, waiting for any sign that her friends were coming. Waking up tied when she had done nothing to anger him irked her to no end. Not only that, but she had been gagged as well, unable to talk and blindfolded so she couldn’t see. Being dragged around by Butler hadn’t made it any better, but when she overheard the conversation Artemis was happening, she realized why. He was making his demands from Fairy Tail. She was too late to stop him from sending her friends on an impossible mission.

When Butler brought her back to her room, letting Artemis finish speaking with Natsu, the large bodyguard began to speak. “I am sorry for this, miss. Your discomfort was never in our plans.” He began untying the ropes, removing anything binding her with an odd precision. He had probably done stuff like this before for that little spoiled brat. “Master Artemis has been in a rather difficult time as of late. I am certain you can imagine what it is like growing up without one of your parents.”

Lucy snorted, the only noise she was able to make beyond muffled gurgles due to the gag. With a small smile, Butler pulled that off as well, leaning back. “To be quite honest, you seem rather calm about all of this. Most victims of kidnapping situations at least attempt to flee. You have done no such thing.”

“And you seem oddly kind for a brute who does whatever dirty work that kid asks of you.” Butler did not reply, only gazing at her steadily. With a sigh, Lucy hung her head and closed her eyes. “This isn’t my first time in a situation like this, alright? My father had money, which made me a target for anyone wanting to steal that from him. Most people see me and think I’m just some helpless girl, weak because I was spoiled due to my rich parents. That’s part of why I wanted to badly to be a wizard…not only was there freedom, but it changed the way people saw me. I wanted to be able to take care of myself, rather than always relying on others to save me.”

“I see. So you are waiting for the proper time to escape? Or are you being forced to rely on your friends again?” Butler seemed to be more relaxed without Artemis around, though she could see the way he guarded his words. There was no mention of Artemis or what he had planned, only of what Lucy was considering doing.

Narrowing her eyes, she began to wonder if this was just some ploy to get her to spill what the guild would be planning to get her back. “That’s not any of your business.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Lucy smirked at him. “After all, you’re just asking because you want to try and stop me from leaving, right? It’s not like either of you have a conscience or anything, so you wouldn’t bother worrying over me.”

“I would not be so quick to assume things, miss.” Butler was frowning at her, his brow furrowed. “Though I suppose I cannot blame you for such assumptions. We haven’t been kind to you…and in your eyes, we are nothing but the ones keeping you from the few you care for. As much as I may wish for Artemis to utilize different methods…he is always far too concerned about results to care. If this is the way he believes is quickest to retrieve his father, he is likely correct. I have yet to see him be wrong before.”

That was a bit alarming. It sounded like Artemis was a mini-Mavis, able to plan things out to such a degree that no one could stop him. Was she just one piece in a massive and elaborate scheme that kid had formed? Part of her was curious, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Instead, a moment of silence passed, with Lucy sitting against the wall of her designated room and Butler sitting just next to the open door. Glancing towards him, Lucy finally gave in and asked him something to break the weird moment in the room. “Um…Butler? About Artemis’ father…what kind of a man is he even? I mean…for him to just try and sell Artemis away like he did, before he was even born…” Lucy trailed off, biting her lip. She hadn’t even met Artemis senior and she was already about to insult the guy.

Tilting his head, Butler studied her for a moment before smiling very faintly. “I can see why you’d see it that way. However…there is more than one reason to do such things. At the time, things were rather…complex, for the family. While I cannot reveal any details, I can assure you that he only had his son’s best interests in mind.” How? Lucy just didn’t see it, but she could tell from the way he spoke that more details would not be given willingly. “As for his personality…he was a strict man for most of Artemis’ childhood. Only later did he begin to change…and in some ways, I think Artemis resented him for that. For someone so young to have been taught one thing for so many years…it is difficult to accept such a drastic change.”

“I know the feeling.” She had hardly even begun to reconcile with her father before he died. Did that mean Artemis was actually like her in a way? She shuddered, banishing the connection. She didn’t want to be like that creepy kid in any way at all.

“From what little I knew of Jude Heartfilia, I am not surprised.” He paused for a moment, his gaze distant. “Though I suppose his loss was difficult nonetheless. Did you ever—“ He broke off as a shadow fell into the room. Standing in the doorway was an older woman with long brown hair, though it looked like it hadn’t been brushed in nearly a week. The locks twisted and tangled with each other, and she walked in a plain red robe, nothing more on other than a pair of white slippers. 

Butler was instantly alert, on his feet and staring at the woman with his hands raised. “Mrs. Fowl, what are you doing out of bed?”

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, placing her hands on her hips. “And what do you think you’re doing in my house? I don’t know who invited you here, but it certainly wasn’t me. My husband would have told me if he had hired extra help as well.” Her gaze flickered behind him, seeing Lucy on the ground. “And you! What good is the help if you just laze around all day? Get up and get to work! My room is filthy, covered in dust no less. Honestly, I just might toss you out if you don’t pick up the pace.”

Lucy’s jaw dropped, and she rose to her feet with a glare. She wasn’t going to let anyone order her around like that, but before she could talk, Butler pressed a hand to her shoulder and gave a strained smile. “I apologize, Mrs. Fowl. I must have forgotten to call ahead. I….I am the new maid’s uncle, Bartrend. She was not feeling well and asked for a ride home.” Was he actually playing along? Lucy frowned, glancing towards Butler. However, then the name finally registered with her. This woman was Artemis’ mother. Somehow, she didn’t even recognize the man who was hired to keep her child alive.

There was a pause as Mrs. Fowl glanced towards the girl with a frown. “Well, at the very least keep the noise down while you’re doing that. I could hear you from down the hallway, and the blasted glare from your open door wouldn’t let me sleep. And be sure to send someone new tomorrow. I will not tolerate less than perfect help.” She was speaking as if Butler were Lucy’s boss, and her own employee. It just didn’t seem right, and as she listened, Lucy’s glare softened into a confused frown as she studied the older woman.

As she turned to leave, Butler gave a slight nod. However, standing behind the woman was Artemis Fowl himself, his eyes wide as he looked up towards her. “Mother, you know it does you little good to get out of bed.”

Mrs. Fowl gaped at him, before shaking her head and actually smacking her son. Even Artemis stood eerily still, with Butler watching stiffly by Lucy’s side. “Don’t you dare be so insolent! I haven’t the faintest idea of who you are, but I most certainly do not have a child. My husband will be dealing with you, most definitely. He is not a man to anger either. Powerful…a dark wizard, one to be feared.” As she leaned towards him, she narrowed her eyes. “Do you understand me, boy? I don’t want to see your face here again, unless you actually have some purpose here.”

“I…yes, Mo—Angeline.” It was the first time Lucy heard Artemis stutter, and with it, she felt her own heart breaking. He really was worse off than her. Not only was his father gone, but his mother didn’t even recognize him. “I will be leaving. Sorry to have disturbed you.”

“And the new maid will be sent tomorrow. Her name is Juliet, quite skilled in cleaning.” Butler added in his words, while Angeline nodded and waved them off. She vanished down the hall, entering another room and shutting the door. “I am sorry, sir. I did not realize she had left her room.” 

Artemis nodded, swallowing. After a moment, he seemed to grow rather focused on straightening the jacket of his suit. Once finished, he glanced towards Lucy with a slightly more composed expression. She was beginning to see where he’d learned that from too. “It is quite alright, old friend. In fact, it should have been expected. Mother has been quite…sensitive to things, as of late. Remind me to increase her dosage of sleeping aids tonight. Their effectiveness appears to be wearing off.”

Butler nodded, while Lucy continued staring after both of them. “Is…is that really all you have to say after that?” Artemis glanced back towards her, raising his eyebrows. “Your own mother…just threatened to kick you out and send your father after you for even being here. Your father, who, you claim is missing. Aren’t you concerned for her? Trying to find her help with all of this?”

Touching his head, Artemis grimaced slightly. “Miss Heartfilia, there is much about my family that you cannot understand. My mother’s illness is connected to my father’s disappearance. Once he is returned, it should remedy the situation.” 

“And if it doesn’t?”

She was not letting this go so easily. That woman needed help, far more than his father. “Then I will look into other methods.” Turning towards her, Artemis seemed to smile. “After all, I cannot do so until at least one of my parents are home and mentally stable. What do you think the government would do if I brought her in for help in this state, with my father legally declared dead?”

That was when she realized what he really had in mind. He let her be insane because it meant he would be taken away from this place. If he lost his home, his resources, he wouldn’t have any way of searching for his father. “You…that’s…” She didn’t even know what to say. She was torn between wanting to get angry with him for disregarding his mother and wanting to sympathize with him for the suffering he had to be going through. How could she hate a kid that only wanted to get his parents back? He was twelve, so it wasn’t like he had the same amount of time to grasp the idea of right and wrong. Beyond that, his mother was insane and it sounded like his father had only been a vaguely more personable version of her own. All things considered, he could have turned out a lot worse.

“I am aware of the situation, Miss Heartfilia, and it is under control. I assure you, I have no intention of being responsible for the loss of Fowl Manor, not after my father went through the effort of obtaining it for our safety.” Safety? Lucy thought about that massive wall, realizing just how paranoid he was. Then again, didn’t his mother say Artemis senior was a dark wizard? If that was the case, she couldn’t exactly blame them.

Then, Lucy stilled as she realized what she was doing. She was sympathizing with Artemis, her captor. She was seeing pieces of her own childhood in his, and it made her want to fix things before it was too late. She should be angry at him. She should have hated him. However, as she stared at the stiff way he carried himself and the calm facade he wore, she couldn’t bring those feelings to life. “I…I’m sorry.” That seemed to make him pause, blinking at her. “For what it’s worth, I do hope you find him. It can’t be easy, growing up like this.”

“Are…are you developing Stockholm Syndrome?” Artemis frowned at her, before slowly shaking his head. “Regardless, feelings are rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things. They cloud the mind and alter judgment, something that can be witnessed quite evidently in my own mother. If you wish to truly help, start by suggesting places to search for my father.”

Looking away, Lucy frowned. “I don’t know. Did you ever think about starting where he stopped? Why was he even going to meet with my father that day? Or what kind of jobs he was doing before then that might have angered someone?”

“Such things are the first things investigated in any case, Miss Heartfilia. I am aware of his enemies, and of his reasons for quite a few of his larger projects. None of which appear to be related to this event…though it is rather difficult to ascertain the locations of all of his enemies.”

He seemed to be willing to talk about this, so Lucy continued trying. “Well, what about a different perspective? I mean, it can’t hurt, right?”

There was a pause, before Artemis smiled and shook his head. “You would not wish to help, once you knew what he was last working on.” That was an interesting way of phrasing things. Glancing at Artemis, Lucy wondered what he was up to. However, the boy glanced towards Butler, nodding towards the bodyguard. “How has he been, as of late? Do you think I could introduce Miss Heartfilia to my father’s latest research project?”

“The same, sir. He never truly changes, though the magic energy in the room fluctuates on occasion.” That made Lucy stiffen. It sounded like she wasn’t the only prisoner in this place. 

There was a pause as Artemis glanced towards Lucy, taking a moment to gauge her expression. “Now, you likely have heard enough to ascertain that this is not a usual sort of project. Studying rare magic spells was a hobby of my father’s, and as he left his former guild, he came across one that appears to be one of a kind, never seen before in recorded history. To preserve it, he captured the spell along with the individual it appeared to be connected to.”

“He…kidnapped someone…to research some spell?” Lucy watched as Artemis shrugged, as if it was a logical way of looking into things.

“That is a bit harsh, considering what actually happened. More accurately…he arranged a mutual agreement. The man asked to be imprisoned, and in return, he allowed my father to study him. More details are unknown to me. My father foolishly tried to keep me away from the project, but it did not take me long to discover it and begin my own experiments on the spell.”

That was a bit of an odd request. Lucy didn’t know what to say in response. However, Artemis seemed to anticipate that, moving towards some room further in the house with Lucy and Butler following after him. Now that she was out of her room, she could see just how huge this place really was. It wasn’t all that different from the set-up of her childhood home, but the reminder didn’t make it feel any more comfortable. “Are you certain about this, Artemis?” Butler spoke, making Lucy frown towards him. He looked tense, watching the young boy with his own frown. “If word of this spreads, you are aware of what would happen. Doing this…do you trust your own prisoner?”

There was a pause from Artemis as he hesitated, stopping on his path. Then, he turned and glanced towards Lucy, his blue eyes narrowing. “She is not quite as intelligent as I am, but she is not a complete fool. She knows that some information is best kept to herself.” Oddly, Lucy wondered if he had somehow heard her comment about not giving away what Fairy Tail’s plans were for her. The weird way he smiled with those words made her almost certain he had heard, even though he hadn’t been in the room with her at the time. “So…to be precise, this is merely an attempt to keep her content with remaining in Fowl Manor. After all, it would do us little good to have a restless captive, futilely attempting to escape every moment. Devising plans to keep her in place that are humane would get rather tedious with that, don’t you agree?”

“Since when did I show any signs of trying to escape at all?” Not that she didn’t plan to get out, but Lucy was rather annoyed with the kid talking about her like she wasn’t there. Her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowing at him. However, Butler had an odd smile on his face, like something remarkable had just occurred for Artemis. Whatever it was, it was lost on her.

“And you are certain this has nothing to do with you finally making a friend?” 

Butler’s question was posed as if Lucy hadn’t even spoken. However, it did make her blink at them in surprise. They had kidnapped her. She wasn’t exactly friendly with Artemis by any means either. However, as she stared at the back of Artemis’ head, seeing the way he avoided looking at either of them, she wondered if he saw it that way. “I do not have time for such frivolities, Butler. This is simple etiquette, or in psychological terms, positive reinforcement. As Lucy has yet to flee, I am enforcing her behavior by answering one of her more minor questions.”

She didn’t remember asking about any of his projects, but she wasn’t going to complain. From the sounds of it, this was going to be leverage. The more she had on Artemis, the easier it would be to convince him it was in his best interests to let her go. However, that tactic didn’t exactly feel any better than what he was doing to her. Really, was this any different than what she had been hoping for back home? Artemis kept her fed, gave her a place to sleep, and offered her books to read if she was bored. It was a break from the dangerous jobs of a wizard, and as much as she wished it had been on her own terms, she couldn’t exactly help but feel torn. She definitely wanted out of this place, but not at the expense of hurting her captors. As awful as they had seemed at first, she could see that Artemis was a boy suffering, and that Butler just wanted his friend to find happiness somehow. 

Lucy followed them into one of the rooms in the hallway, not minding the silence that had settled over them after Artemis’ last comment. Inside, Lucy’s eyes widened in mild surprise. Sure, the plain undecorated walls seemed out of place in the home that was lavishly decorated with paintings from famous artists, but that wasn’t the thing that grabbed Lucy’s attention. Everywhere, lacrimas seemed to be almost projecting odd images into the air. Those that weren’t actually projecting images were illuminated with light, showing pictures on their surface if they were large enough to show what was intended. There was a single chair in the room, at the center of all the images, but Lucy didn’t even approach it. Her gaze was still looking around, seeing nearly every room of Fowl Manor being watched in a single room.

Artemis moved to take the seat, glancing around for a moment. Lucy spotted her own room in the mess, and she realized that Artemis probably had heard exactly what she had mentioned to Butler. She scowled in irritation at that, before her eyes widened at a different one. This lacrima seemed to be projecting the inside of Fairy Tail’s guild hall, with Natsu and the rest of her team gathering together in an intense conversation. Another next to it showed Angeline Fowl, covered in bedsheets and sprawled out on a mattress in a nearly black room. She mumbled in her sleep, rolling over slightly and shaking out her head as she did so.

“You…you really can’t be this paranoid. I mean…how do these even work?” Communication lacrima existed, but she had never seen them used like this. It was as if each lacrima had an endless amount of power, always showing what was going on in the house at all times. In fact, as Lucy looked around, she saw that wasn’t quite accurate. A few of them were showing vantage points outside of the manor, revealing large empty hillside views of grass and the stone wall keeping them inside.

With a smile, Artemis seemed to pull one closer to him, tilting it in his palm. “Time and patience, Miss Heartfilia. With some effort, lacrima of this nature can be modified, utilized to record images and transmit them to another source. Really, it is a simple combination of the purpose of surveillance lacrima and communication lacrima. Instead of storing the image for future viewing like a common surveillance lacrima, this allows me to observe what is occurring in real time, always aware of what is going on.”

Turning to stare at him, Lucy saw him frowning into the lacrima he was tilting in his palm. “Butler, did you not say this was an acceptable time to introduce her?” The lacrima in his hand was almost pitch black, though as she studied it closer, Lucy could see that it actually looked like a massive cloud of some strange black smoke. Whatever the black was, it blocked the view of whatever was actually in that room.

“You know how he is, sir. It isn’t easy to predict when he lapses into a state like this.” Artemis seemed to nod, setting the lacrima down and letting it join the others for a moment. Lucy watched it, staring as the black swirling smoke inside began to slowly dissipate. Really, it didn’t look like smoke. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was actually some kind of magic. Was this the spell Artemis was researching? As she frowned, lost in thought on the topic, the smoke cleared away to reveal the man inside. Overall, the room itself was plan and undecorated, practically unharmed by the massive spell that had been inside just a moment ago. However, the man inside didn’t look any older than her, with dark black hair and robes of black covering his body. A white sash covered his torso, and he was sitting on the ground with his head leaned back against the far wall. 

His head leaned forward, his eyes narrowing for a moment. It actually looked like he was staring directly at them, and for some reason, the sight made Artemis smile. “Remarkable as always, Black Wizard. Did you know I was watching you from the moment I entered this room?” Those words made Lucy blink in shock. She had to have heard the kid wrong. Sure, she knew Grimoire Heart had been looking for the guy on Tenrou Island, but it just wasn’t possible. As she gazed at the teenager staring directly at them all through the lacrima, Lucy felt an odd chill settling in her. Somehow, she couldn’t convince herself that it was a lie. Right in front of her was the image of the Black Wizard Zeref, being held captive by a twelve year old boy who seemed to enjoy tormenting others for his own gain.


	8. A Willing and Unwilling Prisoner

Sitting in the odd cellar that had been his home for some time now, Zeref frowned. He had grown used to his current situation, brought about by his lapse in control after the attack on Tenrou Island. When had it even come to this? Part of him wondered why he even tried. His anger had reached its peak, and Acnologia had surfaced once more. That signaled the end of an era, and his own actions against the dark guild that had come for him proved he was no longer in control. Or perhaps he was in control, depending on how one looked at it. Control over his thoughts had vanished in return for control over magic. Really, he didn’t know which was better. Either way, the outcome was the same, and he truly didn’t know if this final effort to isolate himself would succeed or not.

To be honest, when Zeref had left Tenrou Island, he had every intention of beginning efforts on becoming more active again. If he couldn’t isolate himself and find peace, then he’d find other means of solving his dilemma. People failed to realize that the world was better without him, so he would show them the error of his ways. He would do so while achieving his own peace, fixing all of his mistakes in one final ploy. His largest hurdle would be overcoming Mavis, but he did have a team of masterful wizards in place to work against one girl. Overall, he had been certain that between himself and the Spriggan Twelve, he could obtain Fairy Heart and use it for his own needs.

When he had reached the limit of the distance he could teleport by using magic, Zeref had paused to rest. He had been on the shore of some port city, watching others walking around happily without a care in the world. Really, if he had left only hours before then, he would have been standing amidst a future graveyard instead. Grimoire Heart had altered him too much, as had time. He couldn’t even remember why he was afraid of forgetting the value of life. Really, was something wrong with letting go of the guilt of killing? Was it wrong to want to be content with what meager existence he had? Part of Zeref knew it wasn’t right, but he no longer could bring himself to care.

Oddly, someone had been there, almost expecting him when he arrived. An older gentlemen had approached, with dark black hair tainted with a few graying streaks revealing his age. Blue eyes shone from his face, though there was no smile in his expression. “I knew you’d come. The fact that you are here…I take it they failed?”

Lifting his gaze, Zeref had raised his eyebrows at the man. At the time, he had not realized that the wizard before him had been responsible for sending Grimoire Heart to that island. All he knew was that someone had recognized him, and unlike the common reaction, he was not afraid. When the man stated he had realized what kept Zeref alive all these years, the black wizard had been intrigued. Then, Artemis Fowl I had apologized for the necessary act of restraining and imprisoning him, for the safety of mankind.

Upon hearing that, Zeref had felt an odd disinterest. Too many had tried to stop him, and too many had failed. However, he still had enough fear of himself to make a rather unusual decision. “If that is your desire, I will not resist. Contain me if you can…but know that it will not last for long.” It had made the man confused, not realizing why Zeref was not resisting. To be honest, even Zeref was confused as to why he had let this happen. Part of him wanted to know what the other wizard would discover, but another part just felt like it would be best to bide his time. 

“But…you do realize that I’m not doing this because of your past…” The man had trailed off, looking away. “Others will search for you. There may come a day when even you cannot escape them…when you are forced to become what history makes you out to be yet again. I wish to stop this from happening.” Turning towards him, Artemis had offered his hand. “My name is Artemis Fowl, and I was once a member of Grimoire Heart. During my time with them, I came to realize something about you. You are immortal, capable of more powerful magic than anything most wizards can comprehend…yet you do nothing. You have little desire to be active, am I correct?”

Zeref had nodded, and after a moment, he had held out his arms as if in surrender for an arrest. “Then perhaps this arrangement could be of benefit to both of us. Even should those individuals remain away from me…this event has left me rather angry. I am not pleased with the world. Mr. Fowl. In fact…I long to bring an end to this place. However…you seem to be different than most. As a result, I will allow you to attempt to stop me. Research what you like, investigate my past, attempt to ascertain the source of my power…but I warn you, do not release me, no matter what I request. Only one exists who may be able to stop me, and I assure you, he is not ready to complete such a task yet.” With that, Zeref had been dragged off to his new home, a man-made isolated world rather than the natural island he had once known. The walls seemed to be designed to block teleportation magic. In fact, they seemed to have built-in protection spells as well, reinforcing them from physical and magical attacks. Truly, Artemis Fowl I had known what he was getting involved in when Zeref was brought here.

Currently, Zeref was sitting in his prison sensing the activation of the magical lacrima always watching over him. Well, perhaps that was a bit incorrect. The lacrima was always active, but what his captors were unaware of was the fact that the spell cast on it could become a two-way link. Just as they observed him, he could observe them in return. So, he had known the moment the younger Artemis had begun observing him again. He had known that there was an unusual companion with him, and Zeref had felt himself become rather curious about this girl who looked vaguely familiar. Had he met her before? Based on the reaction she had, it wouldn’t surprise him if she knew him by name alone.

When the boy asked if Zeref had known Artemis had been watching, Zeref simply frowned. “Perhaps. Are you attempting another experiment today? I think you will find that I am still quite unkillable.” That had been one of the more painful realizations of what his captors had planned for him. Zeref had attempted to do so to himself, but these people didn’t seem to believe him when he insisted he was immortal. Different wounds were inflicted to confirm his words, and from that point on, he had noticed spells of a different variety. They were sensing the magic within him, trying to isolate the path his magic had taken in development to reach this point. The process was rather complex, if Zeref thought about it fully. 

In an average wizard, certain spells could be used to extract a portion of their magical energy. This extraction would isolate a portion of the natural power used by a wizard, be it elemental, transformative, or spacial in nature. From there, another spell would be required to nudge the magic into action. It wouldn’t result in much, but a minor spell would be created as a result, revealing a determination of what kind of magic a wizard used. It was a process that Zeref had not seen used in ages, and he was surprised to find himself undergoing such procedures. Based on the fact that they returned again to attempt it multiple times, he was almost certain they had found nothing of the curse in his extracted energy. After all, it wasn’t his own natural magic that he was now a master in. In fact, Zeref wasn’t even certain what his natural magic was anymore. Would it be considered living magic at this point? Or perhaps some form of elemental magic? He didn’t know which one was more integral to his own magical core, so he supposed he wouldn’t have an answer unless he performed that spell on himself.

“My father is rather foolish, attempting such repeated efforts. If it were me, we would have moved passed this long ago.” Zeref knew the child was bright, and in many ways, it left him feeling uncertain of what to do about the kid. One part of him felt the need to flee and kill Artemis in the process. There was too much of his own former self in that child, too much of a keen mind and a hint of darkness that didn’t mix well. Then again, it would be a terrible loss, letting a mind such as that vanish before it reached its true potential. “Therefore, I have something else in mind for today. Zeref, I have brought with me a new companion, one with an odd curiosity in my father’s past. Would you have any interest in meeting with Miss Heartfilia?”

That name made Zeref stiffen, his black eyes locking with the lacrima hovering in the upper right corner of the room. That was why she looked so familiar. She could have been Anna’s sister, with her looks. “I have far more interest in your plans to prevent me from leaving. Do you truly think these walls will contain me forever?” Zeref had been getting restless again recently. He didn’t know if it was a good thing or not.

“There is no need to resort to theatrics. We both know you asked to be kept here, without hope of leaving.” Zeref couldn’t deny that, either. Remaining silent, he gazed at the floor instead, letting his hands rest by his sides. “Now, Miss Heartfilia, tell me…were you truly expecting to find the Black Wizard Zeref here? To be honest, few are. In fact, I highly doubt you are even aware of what you were just witnessing from him moments ago.”

Not even his father would be able to identify that haze. Zeref smiled darkly at the thought, glancing up to see the blond still staring with wide eyes at his image, keeping her distance despite the fact that he wasn’t actually near her. “He’s…but why? Why do you even want to have him here?”

“Aurum est potestas.” Zeref spoke for him, his voice quiet in the room. “His father rather enjoyed the phrase. My knowledge…no, unlocking the truth behind my power…if he could manage such a thing, it would bring new wealth to their family. After all, what human does not foolishly desire to live forever?” He had heard far too many people wishing for such a thing. They did not realize what they asked for.

“It is our family motto, so it is to be expected.” Lucy stared between them, biting her lip as Artemis spoke. “Though, it is rather obvious that your magic cannot be replicated with ease. Did my father not think this through when he labeled your immortality as one-of-a-kind? Such a name implies it is nearly impossible to replicate.”

At that, Lucy snorted and shook her head. “I doubt that’s the case. I mean, Zeref wasn’t always immortal.” That wasn’t common knowledge. Frowning, Zeref focused on her instead, but it seemed as if he was being ignored for a moment.

“And what research have you done to prove this?”

The girl’s hand touched her waist, only for her fingers to curl by her side and drop. For a celestial wizard, she did appear to be missing something rather vital, after all. “I…it’s not something I can explain. Let’s just say a few things happened recently and someone brought the information to my attention.”

The disturbance in energy he had felt recently, Zeref now had a feeling he knew what had caused it. “The Eclipse Gate. I assume someone was seeking out a method to prevent my entire existence?” His own voice made both of them blink towards him in surprise. However, Zeref only shook his head, chuckling softly. “If that is their desire, they simply needed to contact me. I have taken the time to improve that spell exponentially…it just may be possible to now…” Zeref trailed off, breaking off his words. He couldn’t reveal his plans yet, not to them. It could very well get back to Mavis, and stop him from succeeding.

“You’ve devised a method for time travel? Quite fascinating…I wonder which theory holds true for the proper operation of the timeline…” Artemis trailed off, before shaking his head with a frown. “Never mind that, though. Her confirmation that your immortality was not always yours…it only makes me far more certain of my own theory about you.”

“What, that he’s just some misunderstood genius?” Lucy spoke with heavy sarcasm, rolling her eyes at the child.

There was an odd gleam in Artemis’ gaze, one that made Zeref question what he had discovered. He thought there had been a bit of a break recently in experiments, but he wasn’t certain of that fact. “No…or, well perhaps.” Artemis paused for a moment, leaning forward towards the lacrima. “You see, I believe the black wizard is cursed. His immortality is just one side-effect of such a thing. That dark magic you just witnessed is another.”

That had Zeref staring with wide eyes. No one had deduced that far since Mavis. Even she had been an unusual case, able to do so due to her own history of raising herself on Tenrou Island. When Zeref did not reply, Artemis seemed to continue onwards. “See, there are certain tests that can be performed to determine which form of magic a wizard uses. Even holder-type wizards such as yourself still have a distinct residual magic energy in your system that is unique to celestial magic, rather than some other form. As part of our tests…we attempted to ascertain Zeref’s form of magic. We expected death magic to be the result, after what we’d observed of him, but that was not the case.” 

“Now, this could have been a mistake in the process performed. After repeating the spell, we discovered the same unusual result…or perhaps different. Repeatedly, we performed this test…and each time, a different style of magic was revealed to be his true power. Ultimately, my father decided such tests were inconclusive…but based on historical texts, I saw little flaw. Zeref was born a prodigy, meaning he utilized multiple forms of magic. It was to be expected to get multiple different results from such a test.”

Staring at his lap, Zeref began to realize that perhaps the son was the one who could truly find a way out of this. “Then you have surpassed your own father already.” He smiled darkly, uncertain of if he was pleased or not with the idea. “Stay away from dark magic, Artemis Fowl. In fact…I advise you to avoid it entirely. If you are as much like me as I fear you are…then you could very well be joining me in this state.”

“A curse caused by use of black magic…that indicates it was given as a punishment by some outside force.” Artemis frowned, studying him closely. “Based on your own comments, you know exactly what the source is as well.”

Nodding, Zeref met his gaze, seeing the boy’s blue eyes gaze back at his own. “There are some forms of magic that were never meant to exist. I created one of them…and you can see what the result is.” Tilting his head, Zeref felt an odd impulse rush through him. He’d kill that boy, before he could find out anything further on the curse. After all, knowing the truth was just one step away from trying to get rid of it. “You can’t live on. You are too much like me…too much of a risk.” Rising to his feet, Zeref reached out towards the lacrima, his energy building. He could rework the spell within, send his own magic through towards the boy before he could even react.

Just as his fingertips touched the orb, Zeref jerked back, as if snapping out of a daze. The chill of the lacrima had startled him, and if that hadn’t happened, he didn’t know what would have happened. Looking away, Zeref closed his eyes. “I suggest you leave. It is not safe…speaking with me.” Artemis nodded, smiling as he turned to leave. However, the girl hesitated, giving him one last frightened glance. Zeref wasn’t paying attention, and he didn’t notice how his whispered voice practically froze the girl in place. “Natsu…please be ready soon…I’ve waited too long. I can’t…Natsu, you have to…”

“Natsu?” Her voice startled him, making him lift his gaze. Had she not left? “What do you want with him?”

Zeref’s head hurt. He didn’t want to think about Natsu. In fact, he needed to stop Natsu, before Natsu killed him. Wait, wasn’t Natsu his brother? If he had given so much up to bring him back, why did he want to kill Natsu? Rocking slightly, Zeref shook his head and lifted a hand to clutch his hair. “I…I don’t know…he must kill me…or I must kill him…regardless, we both must die.”

He was unstable right now, and he didn’t really care who he was speaking to. All he knew was that he needed someone to bring Natsu here quickly, before he killed this family attempting to contain his power. Perhaps they thought they were saving humanity, but they were only delaying the inevitable. Zeref knew how unstable his own mind was, and if they did not release him soon, he would unleash his power on this manor and kill them all to forcefully free himself from the prison he had asked to be created.


	9. An Old Enemy

The search for Artemis Fowl I was proving to be just as successful as Gray had predicted. Natsu and his team found themselves in Acalypha, the city where Lucy’s father had been when Artemis senior had gone missing. Natsu was still recovering from the train ride there, glowering at his friends as they walked through the streets. Really, Natsu was wondering if he should have questioned Levy about some of this first. She’d be the best chance at knowing which guilds were still associated with Grimoire Heart. However, after speaking with the team about it, they had decided against it. All of them had been trapped on Tenrou Island back then, so her information on them could have easily been out of date.

Instead, they had decided to start where it all began. Maybe it had been an opportunistic attack, taking place because the man happened to be nearby at the time. “Perhaps we should ask around about this man. I find it extremely unlikely that absolutely no one witnessed a dark guild’s attack.”

With little else to do, Natsu nodded in agreement to Erza’s decision. It wasn’t exactly smart to try and disagree with her anyway. Walking towards one of the shops on the street, Natsu entered with the others following behind him. Inside, he ignored all the shelves filled with various accessories for outfits. Once he was facing the shopkeeper, Natsu crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Hey, we got a few questions for ya.”

The man looked up with a frown, leaning forward on the counter. “And I’ve got a wonderful shop of things to sell you. Buy something or get out, I don’t have time to deal with this.”

“It is an urgent matter of life or death.” Erza interrupted, stepping forward with a cold glare. “We’re from the Fairy Tail guild, and we’ve been sent on a mission to locate a missing person. They were last known to have been on a visit to this town. Now, as you are a resident, we—“

“Do I look like a guy who watches everything around me? I don’t care who you’re talking about, I don’t know ‘em.” 

“You just interrupted Erza!” Happy flew behind him, shuddering slightly with wide eyes. “You don’t interrupt the great and powerful Erza. Bad things happen to people who—“

“I wasn’t finished talking!” As if to emphasize his point, Erza shouted, slamming her fist on the counter and luckily not the shopkeeper. “Now, all we wish to know is if there are any rumored dark guilds in the vicinity of the town. If they bear an association to Grimoire Heart, that would prove to be even more beneficial.”

Scowling, the man stretched his arms and raised his eyebrows at them. “Alright, I’ll make a deal. You wizards are going to buy that there hat on the shelf behind you.” He bobbed his head, attempting to point with his chin. Glancing back, Natsu saw a black fedora sitting there with a price tag attached. “And then, like average folk, you’ll make conversation as I’m collecting the jewel for your purchase. I don’t have time to be wasting on not selling goods, you know. With Love and Lucky down the street, most people go to the more famous merchants for their purchases. Gotta make a living somehow, got it?”

With a scowl, Gray walked over and grabbed the hat, tossing it on the counter. “Fine. Just tell us what we want to know and we’ll be on our way.” The middle aged shop keeper smiled, holding out his hand.

“Wow, what a fine item you have selected there.” It was as if he really was playing along with his own story. The bald man looked way too pleasant when compared to his earlier attitude, and he kept his hand outstretched for a moment. “That will be two hundred and fifty jewel, please.” 

“Two hundred and fifty? That’s insane, it’s just a freaking hat!” Gray glared at the man, watching as the shopkeeper narrowed his eyes.

“Oh? Well, I suppose I can simply call security to escort you from the building if you feel that way. It’d be a shame for you to have come all this way for nothing, though. Designer items have designer prices, as you should expect.”

Grumbling, Gray began fumbling around in his pocket for the money while Erza crossed her arms over her chest. “It is a fine hat, but it is not what we came to this town for. We heard rumors about a dark guild related to Grimoire Heart existing nearby. Are you able to confirm such tales?” It seemed like even Erza was playing along with the weird charade. Wouldn’t the shopkeeper just remember what they were looking for? Natsu glared at the man as he thought about it, no longer really concerned. They weren’t fighting, and right now, he couldn’t even think of the right questions to ask this guy.

“I can’t say that I can, miss. Folks don’t really come to my shop often, so I don’t hear rumors around these parts. Don’t get out much, either, so I’m afraid you’ll have to check elsewhere.”

Leaning forward, Natsu glared at him. “Hey! That’s not what we agreed to. You said you’d tell us about the dark guilds if we bought your hat!”

“Did I? I don’t recall.” The man had a smile on his face as he held out the receipt for the order. “Do come again! Thank you for shopping with us!” He waved as if that was the end of it, leaving Natsu wanting to punch the guy for tricking them. However, Wendy put a hand on his arm, shaking her head slightly.

“Come on, Natsu. It isn’t worth it. Let’s just go ask someone else, okay?”

“Lucy doesn’t have time for us to waste on this crap!” Natsu’s complaint filled the store, but he acquiesced and began walking towards the exit with his team.

“It’s not like she’s going to be hurt right now.” Gray spoke, making Natsu spin towards him with a glare. If the stripper wanted to imply that Lucy was fine, he’d show Gray just how wrong he was. “Think about it, Natsu. The kid planned this out from day one, knowing how to evade your enhanced nose and how to get Lucy out of her apartment. He’s managed to basically use Lucy to get us to do his own dirty work…if he gets rid of her, he looses the advantage, and for a kid as smart as him, I highly doubt he’d take the risk. Whatever he’s doing to Lucy, he’s going to keep her alive, that much I am certain of.”

“Alive isn’t well. Alive doesn’t mean the kid can’t torture her…or torment her in some way…” Natsu’s hands were in fists, glaring at the ground as his own imagination supplied the images. That kid would be laughing as he watched Lucy getting tortured by whoever the large guy carrying Lucy had been. 

Even Erza’s face looked grave. “Indeed. There is no telling what he is putting Lucy through. That is why we must accomplish this job as efficiently as possible. However…speed is proving to be impossible with how little there is to base our search on.”

“It’s not really going to help us to focus on what’s happening to Lucy right now.” Wendy spoke quietly, making Natsu turn towards her with a frown. She was toying with the ends of her hair, biting her lip. “I mean…I miss her too. I’m worried…but if I focus on that, I won’t be able to put all of my focus on the job. I might miss something…and that would just hurt her more. Don’t you agree, Natsu? Don’t you think we should worry about this job first, and then focus on making sure Lucy is okay when she comes back?”

Nodding, Natsu gave her a smile. “Right. Sounds like a plan. Now, where are these dark wizard bastards we’re looking for? I’m gonna show them what Fairy Tail is made of.”

“We still need to interrogate more people about it, flame brain. Stop being so eager and think for a change instead.”

Gray’s voice made Natsu scowl, but for once, he didn’t argue back. If he had been more thoughtful before, instead of eager to start a fight with that stranger near Lucy’s, he would have prevented all of this. Maybe he did need to work on thinking and making plans first, rather than just acting on instinct. His instincts had been right back then, sure, but what good did that do him? Lucy was still gone, and he wasn’t able to stop Artemis from taking her.

With no better plan, they began to spread out and continue their investigation. Really, it was a lot more of the same from before. More people claimed to be lost on what kind of dark guild would be nearby. Even fewer people seemed to recognize the name of Fowl, making it seem rather suspicious. Regardless, by the time they all met back up together, they were no closer to finding Artemis’ father than they had been when they first came to town.

Taking a break at a local cafe, Natsu leaned back in his chair with the rest of his team gathered around a circular table. An umbrella kept them in the shade on the somewhat sunny day, though it was beginning to get darker out as the sun began to set. “I still don’t understand what we are missing. Surely, a guild wouldn’t come this far to kidnap a man that could otherwise be found at home.”

“Well…it sounded like he had a lot of enemies. Do you think one of his enemies thought it would be difficult to capture him at his own home? Artemis was rather vague about his magical abilities…” Wendy frowned, taking a sip of her lemonade as they sat together.

With his shirt off and his legs stretched out to the side of the table, Gray shrugged. “It’s more likely that his home is impossible to break into. I mean, didn’t that Artemis kid seem fairly confident that we wouldn’t get Lucy back? I’d only have that kind of confidence if there was some serious power behind my defense systems.”

“So, assuming that it was a planned attack…we still have no basis to go on. Grimoire Heart disbanded after their attack on Tenrou Island, and the guilds that worked under them either did the same or changed allegiances.” Erza frowned, her strawberry cake strangely untouched on the table. “With how difficult it is to keep track of them all, I doubt even the magic council knows the names of all guilds formerly associated with Grimoire Heart.”

Blinking, Happy’s eyes got wide where he sat on the table with a fish in his lap. “Council…oh, that’s it!” Everyone stared at Happy, while the cat grinned. “We can ask that Jellal guy about it! I mean, he was on the council…and he was also a dark wizard. Doesn’t that make him an expert on them?”

Grinning, Natsu held his hand out towards Happy. “Nice work, Happy! Jellal’s gotta know all about this.”

“Yeah, but none of us have a clue where to find him.” Gray narrowed his eyes at them. “Let’s face it, they’ve got bigger problems to worry about. Considering he’s leading some kind of manhunt for Zeref, our job looks like something a child would do for a game.”

Nodding, Erza did try for a small smile. “It was a decent attempt, Happy, but I must agree with Gray. Despite the dangers Lucy may be facing…there will be numerous others harmed if Zeref is not found and stopped. Jellal and his guild is our best chance of stopping him now.”

“Well, then why don’t we just try finding them ourselves? I mean, it can’t be that hard to track down an entire building full of people, right Natsu?” Wendy turned towards him, trying for a weak smile with her suggestion.

Frowning, Natsu studied the table as he considered the idea. Tracking normally worked based on a specific scent, not just searching randomly for people. “Maybe. Dunno, never really tried it before.” He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Finding a building filled with people seems like it’d easy. The problem would be confirming that it’s a dark guild. I mean, we haven’t really come across a ton of dark wizards that’d be interested in something like this, have we Happy?”

“Not that I remember.” Happy shook his head, glancing towards the others as the server set down a refill of Wendy’s drink. The woman blinked over towards Natsu for a moment, tilting her head slightly.

“I’m sorry, but did I hear you talking about dark wizards?” 

That made Natsu frown, turning towards her. “Yeah, what about it?”

Tossing a handful of dark blue hair over her shoulder, the girl’s smile widened. “Because, if you’re looking to give a job out to us…I’d be more than happy to accept on Death’s Head Caucus’ name.” That name felt oddly familiar to Natsu, but he couldn’t quite place it. Instead, he frowned while Gray rose to his feet, his chair pushing back with the motion.

“You’re…a dark wizard?”

“Oh, don’t sound so shocked. I see that little emblem of yours there, Fairy. If you’ve come all this way in search of a dark wizard, you can’t be as innocent as you try to appear.” There was a smirk on her face, her hand on her hip. After a moment, she held out her hand towards him to shake. “My name’s Hannah, and you are?”

After a glance towards Erza’s stern expression, Gray nodded and took her hand. “Gray…you got some place we can talk about this?”

Waving them over, the girl nodded. “Of course. Why should I not extend a full invitation to you? After all…you wouldn’t be so foolish as to challenge our entire guild to battle all on your lonesome, right?”

“Just as you knew we would not attack in public, out of fear of injuring innocent bystanders.” Erza smiled at her, nodding towards Hannah. “Death’s Head Caucus…the name is oddly familiar to me. You wouldn’t have any relationship to the renowned Grimoire Heart guild, would you?”

Laughing, Hannah smiled brightly. “Oh, we haven’t had connections to them in ages. That guild burned itself alive ages ago by taking on a job they weren’t prepared for. That’s why we specialize, my dear. Every wizard in our guild takes only assassination jobs. Perhaps you’ve heard of our famous trio, Trinity Raven, capable of taking down even the strongest of S-Class wizards when necessary.”

“Trinity Raven…the wizards from…” Erza’s eyes had grown wide, the name seeming to register with her.

Next to her, Gray’s eyes narrowed and nodded. “Yeah, I remember them too.” Meeting her gaze, the two of them seemed to share a look before nodding. “Saw them in a pretty good fight, too. You guys have some skilled wizards in your guild, don’t you?”

“And we start them young, too.” She said this with a slight glance towards Wendy. The younger girl seemed to pale slightly, moving closer to Natsu while walking. “She’s the perfect age to begin learning the trade. A pity she looks too soft-hearted for the job.”

“You know…there’s something I just don’t get.” Happy spoke up, interrupting her as he flew by Natsu’s side. “If you’re a dark wizard…what are you doing working at a cafe? Seems like a pretty weird place to find someone like you.”

“The best place to hide is in plain sight, young cat.” How she wasn’t surprised by Happy’s voice was a mystery. Even in a place filled with magic, Happy was a bit of an oddity that caused confusion in most people. “Besides, we do need to keep an ear out for potential job requests somewhere. Did you think dark guilds simply imagined up their own work and rewards from nothing? People have dark desires, my dears. It is our job to make sure they are fulfilled.”

“Desires like making people disappear?” Natsu’s eyes were narrowed, watching as the woman nodded towards him.

“Precisely. Revenge, hate, greed…so many different reasons to want to have someone vanish from this world. We grant people peace and ease their dark emotions for a brief moment in time, while keeping their hands free of the taint of the actual work. Really, you could say we are merciful in that sense, freeing them from the guilt of murder by killing others ourselves.”

“You say you specialize in murder, but do you take other jobs too?”

When Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, the loose, almost billowy sleeves of her white blouse fanned out and blew in the wind. “If the price is right, my darling, we’ll take any job.”

“Even if we wish to target another dark guild?” Erza posed the question, watching as Hannah paused for a moment. Her eyebrows lifted, and she seemed to stare Erza down for a moment as their path began to take them out of the city.

After a moment, Hannah began to chuckle, shaking her head. “You know, I think I rather like you fairies. You are quite an interesting bunch…so for now, I’ll ease some of your concerns by saying yes. We care little about who we kill, and we are known for being rather independent of others. Perhaps we used to pay Grimoire Heart for protection, but we’ve learned to keep ourselves safe on our own. In fact…we haven’t had someone manage a successful infiltration of our guild in years. So…for the right price, we will kill absolutely anyone you want, dear. The more difficult the target, the higher the price, but in the end, we will get the job done.”

Hanna stopped and spun around, placing a hand on her hip and gesturing behind her. Oddly, Natsu felt like they had hardly walked at all, yet they seemed to be completely out of sight from that town they were just in. Behind her, Natsu could see a building made almost like a massive log cabin, with a natural look to it. On the door, a banner seemed to hang with the weird symbol of their guild, a head that almost looked like it was laughing from a peripheral view. “I do apologize for the confusion, but we can’t have strangers knowing the way to our guild, can we? Telepaths are excellent at muddling the thoughts and leaving you lost as to how you got from point A to point B.” With a smile, she pushed open the door and gestured for them to move inside. After giving his companions one last glance, Natsu began moving forward. They had arrived at some dark guild, but oddly, Natsu wasn’t certain if this was the right move to make. Right now, he didn’t know if this was going to turn into a fight or not, especially since none of them really even had a job to try and give out to the assassin’s guild that had once tried to kill their very team under much different circumstances.


	10. A Dark Wizard for the Right Reasons

With all of the chaos going on surrounding a single man, many are likely wondering what the infamous Artemis Fowl I had truly been up to for the last three years. Well, to start Artemis senior truly meant to make his trip a short one. Meeting with an old friend, Artemis had every intention of reconciling with Jude. In fact, he planned to speak of their former intentions of a unions between their families. He had hoped an agreement could be reached to call off such arrangements, now that he was beginning to see how easily he had let greed rule his life in the past. His son deserved a better future than that, and he planned to provide such a thing to the young boy.

On the road to Acalypha, Artemis had been rather passive until he saw an odd group gathered a ways off the road. Really, it looked like they were attempting to hide, but it only managed to make them stand out more. With their dark cloaks and the fact that almost no one took this more scenic path into town, it made them suspicious. Planning to report them over to the authorities, Artemis had moved closer to attempt to identify them.

Closer, he saw a shockingly familiar sight. While she was older, he had not forgotten the bright, short pink hair of the girl who now seemed to have grown into a young woman. Next to her was another with dark black hair, one of the more reprehensible of Grimoire Heart if he remembered them correctly. Both wore similar dark blue cloaks, standing in a circle with a new face bearing an odd marking around one of his eyes.

“The energy has been growing stronger, Jellal. I’m not certain if our current methods are quick enough to deal with it.” Meredy had been speaking, while Artemis moved to hide behind the nearest tree. With natural plants lining the path, it gave him many options to keep himself out of sight.

“I know…but it is not as if we have other options. None of us can identify what the spell is, much less ascertain its connection to Zeref.”

It was another search for Zeref. Artemis had been watching over the black wizard for a few years now, and he was beginning to see how reprehensible such decisions were. That man was tortured enough as it was by his own magic. He didn’t need others attempting to seek him out further. In fact, Artemis had been working on looking into ways of concealing and suppressing that power. Though, based on the constant lack of control the black wizard showed, his efforts had done little to contain such power.

“Almost makes me wish we still had some kind of news from Fowl.” That made Artemis stiffen, seeing Ultear glancing towards Meredy with a slight smile. “As ruthless as he was, you have to admire a brilliant mind like his. Turning him towards our goals would prove difficult…but there was no one who understood Zeref better among our former guild.”

Meredy nodded in agreement, glancing towards Jellal who was frowning. “He might actually be willing to help, Ul.” Ultear surprised Artemis by not snapping at the girl’s nickname. She normally disliked it due to how close the nickname was to her mother’s name. “Remember? He quit the guild before that whole mess with Fairy Tail. He probably doesn’t even know that we’ve disbanded.”

Grimoire Heart was disbanded? Artemis couldn’t believe it. However, he still couldn’t figure out just what they were doing here either. “It matters little who this man was or what he could accomplish. When an aura like Zeref’s appears in the heart of our nation, it takes full priority. We do not have time to waste on locating this man…not when it will likely be more efficient to investigate ourselves.”

“So what do you propose? We’ve been observing the Grand Magic Games for the last four years. Little of interest seems to be taking place beyond this growing magical energy in Crocus.” Ultear spoke calmly. This was proving to be more alarming than he first thought. He knew where Zeref was and what he was doing. That meant someone else had obtained power of a similar nature. 

Moving away, Artemis attempted to return to the path, however, Meredy’s next comment made him freeze once more. “Ooh! I know. Timmy had a kid, right?” Artemis winced, regretting sharing that nickname with his former guild. He only wished to hear it from Angeline these days, but he supposed others would cling to it as well. “We just need to go to Fowl Manor and bring him along instead. You’d think he’d be just as bright as his father, right?”

His son would not be involved. Artemis would not allow such a thing. So, he rose to his feet and braced himself, resigning himself to his fate. He wished he had managed to take at least a moment to compose a message for his family, so they would not worry so much about him. However, if this group would not stop until they had someone aiding them, he would return to his former ways to keep Arty out of this life. “If you go towards the manor, you will regret it, Meredy.” Artemis eyed the girl warily, watching as she gasped in shock.

Turning towards him, the blue haired man frowned and narrowed his eyes. “Based on that greeting, I take it you are the aforementioned Artemis Fowl?”

Nodding, Artemis straightened his tie and set down his briefcase, looking at the girls rather than him. “Indeed, though I left that life behind long ago. The past always has ways of coming back to haunt us, though.”

“We aren’t members of that guild anymore, Timmy.” Ultear seemed to have even taken to the nickname, making Artemis frown. “We’re a new group, one seeking to help this world and atone for our sins. If you would let Jellal explain, I’m certain you would see it our way.”

Meeting her gaze, Artemis crossed his arms over his chest. “I will do just enough to keep my son out of this. Whatever you are investigating, I promise you it is not what you think it is.”

“I think I’d know what Zeref’s aura would feel like. It is unlike anything you can imagine, dark and—“

Before Jellal could finish, Artemis interrupted. “I am well aware of the Black Wizard’s magical signature. After all, I was the one who designed the spell that allowed Grimoire Heart to track it down to Tenrou Island.” That made Jellal stop, glancing back towards the girls behind him.

“We told you he was good. He’ll likely be able to find this spell for us before it is even close to being a concern of ours.” Ultear spoke confidently, but Jellal narrowed his eyes.

“I see. And if this is not a spell of Zeref’s, what do you believe it to be?”

“As I have yet to study it myself, I cannot say.” Artemis eyed Jellal warily, watching as the man shook his head. 

“You have no intention of joining this guild. You have no information on the spell. Yet, you think you can provide us with some—“ Before Jellal could finish, someone had leapt down from one of the trees. Golden magic illuminated around Jellal, allowing him to move away quickly and dodge the sudden attack.

Behind him, a woman with dark blue hair and a pale, billowy white shirt seemed to stand. “I’ve been looking for you, Jellal. Do you have any idea how many have requested your death?”

“And it appears as if it is time to leave.” Jellal glanced towards Artemis, hesitating for a moment. “If you truly do wish to help, I must urge you to join us. We are a guild working to protect the innocent in any way possible. We could use all the help we can get.”

Looking towards the girl, Artemis realized there was a different way of helping him. Dark guilds were not known to surrender, and if Jellal had any history researching this spell, he was likely closer to the truth than Artemis was at the moment. “I wish you luck on your task, old friends. Perhaps this could have been a more pleasant reunion had I realized you now were aware of the errors of your previous ways.”

“Confident, are you? I assure you, I will kill any who stands by my target and defends him.” The assassin smirked, requipping a handful of throwing daggers in an instant. Seeing the blades, Artemis sighed and shook his head.

“You aren’t coming with us? Timmy, she’ll—“ Meredy was cut off as Ultear grabbed her arm, shaking her head slightly. There was a grave look in her eyes, an understanding coming from the dark past she used to follow herself. She understood what Artemis was doing, and she nodded her head in thanks as Jellal moved to join her.

Focusing on the woman, Artemis had smiled. “I am no friend of his, but I am also not your enemy. In fact…I do believe we can prove to be beneficial to each other. Tell me, you are an assassin are you not?” The woman had nodded. “I am aware of a rare and one-of-a-kind form of magic in existence, one which I am currently studying and attempting to comprehend enough to share with others. It is true death magic, killing anything it touches in an instant. If you forget about your target and spare my life, I will devote my focus to comprehending what I’ve learned. I will teach you to use such a power if it is the last thing I do.” He knew he would never be able to unravel such a mystery, so it was a safe promise to make. In the end, she had accepted, and from that point on, Artemis Fowl I found himself as the most unusual member of Death’s Head, the assassin guild.

Considering he had never planned on returning to this life, it had been oddly easy. Closing off his heart, Artemis found that so long as his family was not on his mind, he could play the role he once did. He could be heartless, caring about little beyond rewards. When Hannah came asking about his progress, he’d send her off, claiming he needed more funding to attempt another direct contact with his former home. With how little trust there was amongst dark wizards, he was not allowed to leave. Hannah thought he was at risk of attempting an escape, due to his past with Grimoire Heart. Death’s Head knew he had quit a dark guild once, and they weren’t taking the risk of letting his family talk him out of it again.

When Hannah returned to the guild again, Artemis had expected it to be like any other day. She’d bring in some form of prey, using wizards she found in town as a training exercise for the other members to practice their killing skills on. This time, it was a rather large group. In fact, it brought an odd ache to him when he saw the young girl that looked like she was about Arty’s age now. “So, my dear fairies, have you decided what task you wish to present us with?”

A few in the guild looked eager, smirking and sharing knowing looks as Hannah continued through her ruse. Artemis sat in a dark corner of the guild, paperwork sprawled in front of him as he tried to ignore it all. “That’s the thing. We’re not even certain we know who we’re targeting. All we know is that we’ve got a bit of a problem. To put things simply, we’ve been forced to take an illegal job and now, we need some underground connections to finish it off.”

The one without a shirt spoke, a blue mark showing on his chest. They were from a legal guild, Artemis realized. He wondered just what Death’s Head thought they were doing by antagonizing one of them now. “Well, I’m afraid we can’t help with such vague details as that. Do you simply wish for us to take the job off of your hands? Or would you rather we deal with the one responsible for giving you such a task? Really, we are quite capable of either.”

“Wait…you could do that? Even I couldn’t track down Lucy and that creepy kid!” The pink haired boy seemed stunned. Really, he shouldn’t have been. Tracking spells were far more accurate than tracking by brute force, and Hannah did have connections that could manage it if necessary.

Nodding, she smiled at him. “I see you’ve decided on a target, but do your companions agree?”

“We…I don’t think we really need anyone…um…killed.” There was a sweet shyness to the young girl’s voice, the one with hair the same shade as Hannah’s. 

The shirtless boy crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a sigh. “As much as I hate to say it, she’s right. Not even Artemis deserves that, no matter how much of a brat he’s been.” 

That made Artemis stiffen, his head shooting up. “Artemis?” He spoke, seeing Hannah narrow her eyes towards him. Meeting her gaze, Artemis raised his eyebrows. If she chose to challenge him now, her ruse would be forfeit. Really, he had the upper hand in their current situation, with the game she seemed intent on playing.

“Yes, Artemis Fowl II, to be precise.” The scarlet haired wizard in armor spoke, meeting his gaze. “He has kidnapped one of our members and refuses to release her until we complete this job for him. I suppose I can allow for some forgiveness due to his age, but if he has harmed our comrade, we will show him no mercy.”

What had his son gotten into now? He knew Arty had been a bit too intrigued by some of the darker aspects of his past. Artemis had tried so hard to dissuade him from that path, but there had always been a drive to be challenged in that boy that legal work just couldn’t provide. Evading the authorities was almost like a game to Arty, rather than the actual risk it was supposed to be. “And what form of job is he requesting? Unless you are seeking out someone’s death, an assassin’s guild is hardly the place to be seeking aid.”

“Don’t scare away the customers, Timmy.” As someone aware of his dislike of the nickname outside of his family, Hannah knew to say it with a sneer.

Meeting her gaze steadily, Artemis smiled. “Oh? And should I illuminate them on other matters, Hannah?”

With a scowl, she turned away and glowered at the wall instead. However, the pink haired boy seemed to be moving oddly close to him, sniffing the air. He had been so focused on Hannah that he hadn’t noticed his approach, and now, Artemis had to lean back to avoid letting the guy actually push him back. “You…you smell like him.” It was an odd comment, one that made Artemis frown. “Like the kid from Lucy’s apartment. How the hell do you know Artemis, you bastard?”

Rolling her eyes, Hannah turned her focus towards the man. “Isn’t it obvious? I have to say, for someone working for Artemis, you really are a dense little fool.” That made the pink haired boy frown, leaning away from Artemis just a moment to study her. “The man standing before you is Artemis Fowl, one of our esteemed guild members. Now, what kind of a job are you attempting to blackmail wizards into performing this time? Don’t tell me this is about your family again.”

“Wait…but he can’t be!” Wendy gasped, glancing towards him.

“I dunno…Artemis did say there were two of him. He does kinda look like the kid…and he does look pretty lazy, like the kind of guy who wouldn’t bother thinking of a name for his kid.” Did the cat by the pink haired wizard just speak? Artemis frowned for a moment before deciding there were other matters to focus on.

If his own son had sent them, then there was likely some kind of plan afoot. He knew Arty quite well, and while he had never been directly involved, he had seen enough of his son’s work to know the child was a prodigy in his own right. The young genius had surpassed his own research on Zeref’s magic before Artemis even realized his son had discovered what was being held in the building on the far corner of their property. In fact, his own son had aided in the creation of spells that were often sold under false names to keep their family out of the public eye. Some were likely dangerous, but he knew his son wouldn’t do anything too dangerous at his age. It wouldn’t be for another few years that he’d actually have reason to be concerned.

“He’s…this guy is the Artemis we’re looking for.”

“Alright! Well, it looks like we’re luckier than we thought. Come on, Artemis, we’ve gotta get going now!” The pink haired boy seemed to have a mini celebration before grabbing his arm rather forcefully and dragging him along behind him. Startled, Artemis stumbled slightly, but that was when the other wizards in the guild began to rise to their feet.

Seeing them, Artemis smiled. Really, they hadn’t realized who they were dealing with. If Hannah had taken any time to research Grimoire Heart, she’d have known that it wouldn’t be possible for just any wizard to quit the guild. “I thank you for the hospitality, but I do believe this is my cue to leave. Considering I’ve broken our agreement, I suppose I cannot blame you for reacting in turn…but I highly doubt fools like you could manage to stop anyone who was once involved in Grimoire Heart anyway.” 

Just as Hannah began to join, requipping a sword to attack, Artemis smiled and closed his eyes. Teleportation was a more subtle magic, but it was one he needed to escape Grimoire Heart quickly without detection. Technically, he was not a master, but he knew enough to get him to the location he had in mind. In an instant, they were all gone from the guild and standing in front of Fowl Manor instead, just outside of the gated wall. Glancing towards the others, Artemis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped he had bought that other group enough time to stop whatever spell it was that had them worried. After all, he had just made an assassin’s guild rather angry by leaving so suddenly. Either way, they were capable wizards, and it would likely do little harm. First, he had to determine some way of dealing with the son that seemed to have attempted becoming a dark wizard himself before even choosing a specialization for his own magical gifts.


	12. Contradictory Plans

In Fowl Manor, Lucy really wasn’t certain how she was supposed to be reacting. Artemis was waiting in the hall for her to leave, but Zeref had just said something rather alarming. Sure, she knew Natsu could annoy some people, but did the legendary Black Wizard really just say he needed to die? Staring at the image of the man in the lacrima, she didn’t know what to make of it. Zeref seemed to be clutching his head as if he were in immense pain, and tears were streaming from his eyes. “Wh…but why? If you attack Natsu, you do realize you’ll be making an enemy of the most powerful guild in Fiore.”

The boy seemed to be focused on breathing, not even paying attention to her anymore. By her side, Butler gently touched her arm. “I am sorry, miss, but it is likely time to leave. He always has episodes like this, and you’re not going to be able to get much out of him anymore.” 

Frowning, Lucy stared into the lacrima, watching as Zeref’s black eyes looked up rather suddenly at those words. There was an odd smile on his face, as if amused. “Oh, I assure you, it is coming. You’ll be seeing it soon enough…the death predation…” He closed his eyes, his hand still clutching his hair, thought not quite so tightly. “Natsu…he will make it stop. If he doesn’t…perhaps I should be…perhaps E.N.D’s seal…” He trailed off, biting his lip. 

“E.N.D?” Lucy frowned at him, while Artemis blinked from behind her.

“Remarkable. Without even attempting such a thing, she’s managed to get him to speak far more than either myself or my father has.” The young genius moved to return to the room, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. “While I cannot say for certain, my assumption would lead me to believe that E.N.D. is a demon of some form. His history indicates a long period of time creating such creatures, and the premise of your conversation is finding someone capable of killing him. While I cannot confirm this, a demon may be the only thing with that potential…and considering the very name of this particular being, I’d even conclude that it was designed for that very purpose, the purpose of ‘ending’ a life.”

“Don’t tell me you are planning on seeking this demon out. You do realize the dangers it would pose.” Butler eyed Artemis closely, while the boy frowned, studying Zeref.

“It would make for an intriguing subject, and considering the fact that it is ‘sealed’, I imagine it would be a simpler endeavor to capture this demon than it would be to go for another.”

“Don’t you dare!” Zeref was on his feet, his shout suddenly clear as he glared at them. “Harming E.N.D….no, harming Natsu…no…” He touched his head, grimacing again. “If anyone is to kill him, it will be me.”

“Wait…did you just say Natsu is E.N.D?” Lucy’s eyes were wide, but Zeref simply looked away.

“Either Natsu or E.N.D will bring the end to me. It is simply time that will tell which will accomplish the goal first.” That sounded rather ominous and vague. 

Artemis seemed to be giving it far more thought than Lucy, studying Zeref closely. “You are rather indecisive today, aren’t you?”

“Actually, this is quite normal for me. Time has made things worse, in a way, as has my recent rage towards those that sought out my power.” He frowned, taking a seat once more as he studied Artemis. “To make things clear, once I am enraged, there is no stopping me. It will be too late for everyone in this world…so if you are wishing to study something further, I suggest you look into preparing Natsu to end my existence. Otherwise…I will show this world how it feels to be rejected, just as it rejects me.”

“But that’s insane! How can one person reject an entire planet?” Lucy stepped forward, glaring at him with her hands clenched into fists. This was what the world’s greatest enemy looked like, yet something didn’t quite seem evil about him. There was too much sadness in his gaze for her to completely agree with the picture history painted of him.

Glancing towards her, Zeref actually smiled. “By killing everything that lives on it. I have plans for a war, Ms. Heartfilia. This war…will be unlike any the world has seen. In the end, either I will be killed, or I will have the power to rewrite it all…to change the fate of the world and reject the one we currently live in.”

Touching the back of her hand, Lucy slowly shook her head, levelly meeting his gaze. Lifting her hand, she showed him the mark on the back of it and pointed towards it with her second hand. “Then you better be prepared to fall, because Fairy Tail will be there to stop you. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Fairy Tail?” Zeref seemed to tilt his head, an odd look entering his eyes as he frowned. “Mavis’ guild…yes, she will stand against me. At the same time, she will stand by my side…she will help me, that much I will make sure of.” What kind of contradictory logic did this guy have? He was going to kill someone that was going to kill him. He was going to fight someone who was going to fight with him. Neither comment made any sense, but he seemed to be so calmly confident in his words that Lucy began doubting if there wasn’t a way to make it true.

There was some kind of movement on one of the other lacrimas, but all of them were too focused on Zeref to actually notice it. “You have a rather interesting viewpoint on how this war will go. Do you truly think others will not aid them? I personally may not be a fighter, but I do live in this world. If need be, I would also find a method of standing against you, Black Wizard.”

Lucy blinked at Artemis, surprised by his opinion. Really, she expected him to be amused and nothing more about this plan, but something in those blue eyes were calculating and taking it seriously. “Then perhaps you should join your fairy allies, Artemis Fowl. For if you stand alone against me…it would take mere seconds to defeat you. And I’d enjoy…” He broke off, closing his eyes again. “No, I wouldn’t…I can’t keep forgetting…” 

Glancing towards Artemis, Butler frowned. “It appears as if he is having a rather bad day. Earlier, he seemed too quiet to tell.”

Artemis nodded, folding his hands in front of him. “Do try to come up with more interesting threats, Zeref. I find I am rather bored with the same one continuously repeated each time we speak. We both know that you won’t kill me, just as you know that I cannot kill you. If anything, I will be the one to discover how to unravel this curse you bear…and, perhaps how to recreate it for my own needs.” 

“You wouldn’t dare. You cannot fathom the true depth of suffering this curse can unleash, especially when on a mind less resilient than my own.” Zeref’s gaze locked on Artemis’ practically gleaming eyes. Lucy had taken a step back from him, startled by his declaration, and now she was wishing she had gone further. Artemis had a smile like a vampire or something, and it was disturbing to see.

“Of course I will ensure I have a method of dispelling the curse before using it, should something go wrong. However, there are so many uses to being the only person capable of granting and eliminating immortality…to gifting others with this power and stealing it away just as quickly.”

“Then you best be on guard, for even among fairies, darkness lies.” That comment made Lucy frown. He was warning about something in her guild, she had figured that much out, but what kind of darkness was he referencing? 

Focusing on him, Lucy stepped forward, holding her arm to her side. “Darkness? Are you saying someone at the guild…in the guild…has a curse like yours?”

“I do believe you already know the answer, Lucy Heartfilia. Oh, and my condolences for your loss.” Frowning, Lucy wondered what he was talking about. The boy tilted his head, studying her closely. “Your mother did perish recently, didn’t she? I had thought that would be the case…but perhaps I have that wrong.”

That had been seven, no fourteen, years ago. This guy really couldn’t keep track of time that well, could he? However, Artemis seemed to have his brows furrowed, lost in thought. “I just may take you up on that suggestion, Black Wizard. Ally myself with fairies…an intriguing idea, no less.” Lucy turned towards him, her eyes widening. He couldn’t be serious. The kid had kidnapped her, and while she didn’t want him to suffer, she wasn’t exactly certain the others would forgive him so easily. It wasn’t that far off from what Gajeel and Juvia did when they were a part of Phantom Lord, but unlike them, this was done on his own, rather than under orders from a guild master.

“All things considered, I do find myself curious as well. Just how to you plan to investigate such a thing, young child? Surely you do realize I’ve attempted to investigate my own curse as well. Do you think four hundred years was not enough time to discover the impossibility of eliminating it?”

Zeref’s question was rather calm considering his previous instability. There was a calculating look in his gaze, calmly studying Artemis who seemed to take a moment to gaze back at him. “I am different than you. Unlike you, I am a child genius.”

There was a slight chuckle from Zeref as he closed his eyes. “I was considered the same, at one point in time. Perhaps we are more alike than I first thought, but even so…you will one day see the futility in attempting to stop me through any means other than death. Ending a curse bestowed by…well, I suppose even that would be unbelievable to a boy of your nature. You live by logic and science, expecting everything to fall in line under rules that the world underlines for you…you wouldn’t even begin to comprehend how incorrect you are.”

“Wait…are you saying some supernatural creature cursed you?” Lucy had never heard of such an animal. Sure, there were vulcans and wyverns, magical monsters that wizards went on jobs to contain, but none of them were known to actually curse others. “That’s ridiculous. Honestly, there’s no magical animal alive that could do something like that.”

“Lucy is correct…but at the same time, you did not show any involuntary twitches or changes in motion that would indicate a lie.” The kid had been searching the black wizard for some kind of psychological tell of truth? Lucy had to admit, Artemis was still showing her how much she underestimated the kid on a daily basis. “You truly believe such a thing is true…” With that, Artemis slowly began to smile, his lips twitching slightly. “I see. Perhaps there is more to your previous statements than I first thought. If you wish to give me riddles, Black wizard, I am only happy to engage in the challenge of solving them.”

“And if you wish to present yourself in a manner that reminds me of my former self, I will promise to bring you the same despair I’ve suffered through.” There was a dark look in Zeref’s eyes again, and he looked like he was returning back to his unstable state. “No…I’m trying to remain inactive…isolation always helps. But I need to speak to someone…I can’t stand it anymore, but I can’t be near them.” He looked like he was speaking to himself now. Lucy wanted to try and help, but she closed her opened mouth when she realized what she was about to do. He was the legendary black wizard, and part of her wanted to comfort him. Maybe Artemis was right and she was developing some form of psychosis. 

Before she could say anything further on the matter, the door behind them opened. Lucy spun around, surprised by the noise, while Artemis simply glanced over his shoulder with a frown. “I should have known…things always go wrong at this stage in the plans. Arrogance will be my undoing…Butler—“ Artemis broke off, stopping his next command. He stilled, his eyes widening at the sight of the group entering the room.

“Artemis, I hear you’ve been quite busy in my absence.” A man with hair almost the same shade as Artemis’ entered, though Lucy could see streaks of gray entering the black strands. Dressed in a formal gray business suit, the man crossed his arms over his chest with a stern frown, blue eyes meeting a matching pair across from him. “I must say, I did not expect you to do such an outrageous thing because I left. Did you truly kidnap some girl to hold as a hostage for your own needs?”

By his side, Lucy could see Natsu glaring at the younger Artemis, along with the rest of her team. “Everyone…you’re all here…” Lucy smiled at them, feeling warmth in her chest at the sight. They really did come for her, just like she knew they would.

“Of course we are.” Natsu turned towards her, smiling slightly. “Did you really think I’d just leave you behind? We’ve got a job to do, and Mavis even waited until you were ready to return to work to give out the job.”

This time, Lucy could feel moisture in her eyes. She had really caused them all so many problems, but they were always still willing to have her back. Walking forward, she reached out to hug Natsu in gratitude, but she froze at the gasping noise behind her. Her body froze, only moving after the sharp intake of breath was released. None of the others seemed to realize the issue, but as Lucy glanced back and spotted the wide-eyed black wizard, she knew something was wrong. The crazed look was fading in his eyes, and in a moment of clarity, Zeref seemed to reach towards the lacrima, as if he could actually touch them. “Natsu…but it’s not possible. Acnologia…no that was years ago…but you…” He broke off, touching his head and rubbing his eyes. After a moment, he took a deep breath and focused back on the lacrima. “It matters not. Today is the day you die, after all.”


	13. Reunions

It looked like Natsu didn’t know what to say. Lucy stood between him and the lacrima, uncertain of what Zeref could actually do from his prison further away from the grounds. Next to him, the stranger seemed to blink in surprise at the words Zeref spoke. “Is that truly what you desire, Zeref? You and I have both spoken on this matter before. You told me to keep you here, regardless of what you later would say. You told me of the dangers, that your mind was unstable. Perhaps not immediately, but you shared some of what may happen, if your anger was unleashed once more. You expressed a fear of that future as well, requesting that you only be released when you were able to die.”

The younger Artemis shook his head at that, frowning and glancing towards the lacrima. “That is highly unlikely to occur. Father…I…” Artemis broke off, staring down at the ground. “Are you truly well? When you did not return, I had assumed…” He trailed off again, as if uncertain how to continue. Lucy watched him, seeing the stiff set of his shoulders and wondering why this wasn’t the happy reunion she had expected. Hadn’t he done all of this just to see his father again? Why were there not tears, or even some kind of warm words to welcome him back?

“I was attempting to help some old friends. I did not anticipate running into them on my trip…and I may have taken things a bit too far.” Artemis senior frowned, running a hand through his hair. “Arty…I am sorry, for leaving things this way. Truly, it was never my intention to abandon you and your mother. However, if I had not, good people would have died. Good people who had done nothing more than make simple mistakes…and for that, I had to stay and help. I had to make sure that they would be safe, regardless of what happened to me. This is what it means, to be a good person, Artemis. No longer should a Fowl be motivated by power or greed…please, for me, try and understand.”

“Does family not matter either?” Artemis glanced down at his hands, an odd openness expressed inside them for once. “My efforts were made to ensure you returned…to free you from the dark wizards that had no doubt captured you. Were they not interested in your knowledge of Zeref?”

Glancing towards the black wizard, Artemis senior slowly nodded. “They were…” He trailed off, while Lucy watched the man who Artemis seemed incapable of looking away from. Zeref still seemed to be breathing hard, his eyes closed as he hunched forward.

“Make him leave. Please…Natsu is not ready. He cannot kill me yet.” There was a pause, then Lucy saw a flash of red in his eyes. “I must kill him first…no…kill me…I…make it stop. Please…someone end this…”

Staring at him, Artemis Fowl II began to nod, reaching out and touching the lacrima gently. “I assure you, I will. If anyone is going to achieve the great renown for unlocking the key to the immortality and the legendary Black Wizard’s magic power, it will be me.” With that, he released the lacrima, turning to leave. “Now, I do believe this conversation is best continued elsewhere. Zeref does not appear to be in the best of moods today.”

Lucy moved to follow. Natsu seemed to hesitate, shooting Zeref a slightly confused frown before shaking his head and leaving. “Man…that guy was the weirdo back from Tenrou Island. Wasn’t he with that weird guy that looked like a girl?” Lucy sighed, not really caring who Natsu was talking about this time. 

“You’ve met him before?” Artemis senior looked shocked, his eyes wide as he glanced towards Natsu.

With a grin, he nodded eagerly. “Yup. That guy was the reason our guild was attacked on Tenrou Island! Well…at least, I think he was. He had some creepy magic, and those wizards kept going on about waking him up or something.”

That made both of the Artemises frown, gazing at him closely. Lucy sighed, shaking her head and deciding to explain it a bit better than Natsu did. “He’s talking about Grimoire Heart. They attacked our guild’s island, where we were holding our S-Class wizard trials a while back.”

Looking grave, Erza nodded. “Indeed. I had no idea that man had any role in it, though. Natsu, just who was that?”

“Didn’t Artemis call him the legendary black wizard?” Gray spoke, his eyes narrowed at both of the men bearing that name. “Seems rather suspicious that both of you seem to know what’s up with him, especially since he caused so much strife for our guild.”

“If that’s who he was…isn’t he responsible for Acnologia coming as well?” Wendy spoke with a slight shudder. “Not to mention that dark magic…Natsu, was he the one that turned your scarf black like that?”

That made Natsu blink, his eyes widening before he scowled. “Oh yeah! I forgot I was mad at him about that. What kind of a bastard messes with the scarf Igneel gave me?”

“One who is clearly worried about other things, idiot.” Gray shook his head, sighing. “Look, I’m not trying to offend you guys or anything, but we really could use some info on this guy. After everything that we went through, it’d help clear a few things up about what actually went down back then.”

Looking at the ground, Lucy bit her lip nervously. “He’s…he’s exactly who they said he was, Gray.” Turning towards him, she gave Gray a sad smile. “That man is Zeref…the legendary black wizard responsible for so many horrible things.”

“Wait…the guy that wouldn’t stop crying on Tenrou Island is that Zeref?” Lucy wondered when Happy had seen Zeref, but the cat didn’t seem to stop there. “No way! There’s no way that guy is Zeref, especially not when he clearly knows Natsu. I mean, Natsu can’t be old enough to know the Black Wizard…are you?” Happy turned towards Natsu, placing a paw on his chin thoughtfully.

Grinning, Natsu shook his head. “Nah, that’s confusing me too. I mean, he seems to be kinda mad at me too. Did I do something wrong?”

“Well, you did punch him on sight. That kind of thing can easily be misinterpreted.” Happy was only happy to point out the reason behind such anger.

Nodding, Natsu seemed to smile, recovering from his confusion quickly. “Oh, that’s right! His weird magic nearly killed Elfman and Evergreen, so I attacked him. Huh…why didn’t he just try and fight back then? I mean, wouldn’t that have calmed him down or something?”

“Because he does not wish to get involved in the world’s affairs.” Artemis senior spoke, interrupting Natsu and Happy’s conversation. Both of them turned towards the elder Artemis, seeing the man sigh and shake his head. “That is why he is here, actually. If it was not for his own cooperation, I don’t think I ever would have managed to contain him at all. Zeref is a powerful wizard, to say the least, and even if that were not the case, he is known for death and violence. Perhaps those stories are exaggerated, though. Never once have I seen him act out violently towards myself, despite the tests I’ve put him through. I know…somewhere within him lies the secret to returning our magic to something far more pure than before. Even if the secret to immortality cannot be discovered, at the very least, his recovery abilities should allow us to recreate healing magic, which has been a lost knowledge for so long.”

“Yeah, well some people just want to use it for their own gain.” Lucy glowered at the younger Artemis, who shrugged.

“Is there something wrong with desiring a mild challenge on occasion? Or perhaps with seeking out some form of reward for my efforts?”

Artemis’ father touched his shoulder, smiling with an odd exhaustion in his features. “You’ll have to excuse my son. I did not treat him as I should have growing up…and as a result, I think he is far more detached from people than would be ideal. Angeline gets on him all the time for failing to make friends.” 

Near the two, Butler nodded with a slight smile. “Indeed, though I do believe he is improving, sir. He did attempt to introduce Miss Heartfilia to your latest project, an odd display of trust considering his more recent behaviors.”

“Butler!” Artemis spoke in objection, turning towards him with a scowl. “Did I not inform you of my motives for such a decision?”

The bodyguard nodded, but his slight smile remained. Meanwhile, Artemis’ father simply nodded, smiling and chuckling under his breath. “That is good to hear. But…did I hear you correctly? Is this young woman truly Jude’s daughter?”

Lucy nodded, touching her hand and taking a seat on the couch. All of them seemed to have gathered in a large living room, lavishly decorated like the rest of the house. Some kind of abstract painting hung on the white walls, splashed with smears of green, blue, and gold, an odd color scheme that seemed to draw the focus towards it. With a large black sofa and pristine white tiles, the whole room spoke of money, taking much effort to be maintained properly. With her friends joining Lucy, they all took their own seats in the room. Natsu, Happy, and Gray ended up on the floor, while Erza and Wendy joined Lucy on the couch. Both Artemises sat down, while Butler remained standing in the corner of the room, observing in silence for the moment. 

Glancing towards Artemis senior, Lucy smiled. “I am. Artemis told me about all of that…about what you and my father had arranged.” After a moment, she narrowed her eyes, clenching her hands into fists on her legs. “But…I am not my father, and I am not his property. I don’t care what kind of promises he made…there’s no way I’m agreeing to that, Mr. Fowl. I will not be someone’s doll to be given away when the timing is right.”

“And I did not expect that of you.” Artemis senior smiled, sighing and shaking his head. “That arrangement…it was not my finest moment, I’ll admit. I had still been involved in some…unappealing adventures, to say the least. Angeline and I were planning our wedding, expecting a child already, and she had been pleading with me to get out of my prior engagements. To do so, I needed the funds to purchase some form of protection…after all, it wasn’t an easy task before me, leaving that place.” There was a dark look in his eyes. From what she understood, Lucy knew better than to ask for details.

Looking towards her, Artemis senior smiled slightly. “If it assures your worries in the slightest, I had intended on speaking with Jude about canceling that arrangement. Even he had given his worries about our prior agreement in recent years, after everything he had lost.” 

Erza was frowning, studying them closely. “I apologize for interrupting, but what form of arrangement are you discussing? To my knowledge, Lucy had never met your son before, nor do I recall seeing him in Magnolia near the guild.”

Turning towards her, the younger Artemis smiled. “A simply business arrangement, one that was never completed. My father had sought to combine the wealth of our families through marriage.” 

“M-m-marriage?” Wendy stuttered out the word, gasping in shock. “But…you’re so young…and Lucy’s so much older than you…” She trailed off, glancing between them.

“Not to mention you’re just some creepy kid who kidnapped her. Seriously, what was going through your head with that plan?” Even Gray was joining in, scowling at the child.

Shrugging, Artemis turned away. “Oh, you would not be able to comprehend the entirety of my thoughts. Complex plans require much consideration, to all potential flaws in their design. Starting with the layout of Lucy’s apartment, to the knowledge of what forms of magic your guild uses, to the most efficient means of eliminating any potential threats to the plan…all of these were my thoughts at the time.”

“Sir, I do not think he meant that question literally.” Butler spoke, while Artemis merely frowned.

“I am well aware of what a rhetorical question is, old friend. They are the ones who continue to speak as if I hold no intelligence of my own.” With that, Artemis narrowed his eyes back towards them. “As for the arrangement, I hold little desire for such a contract to be formed. Really, sharing our wealth is not in our best interests, not when I can accumulate far more on my own without the hinderance of another attempting to interfere with my plans.”

“Oi, you got a problem with Lucy?” Natsu glared at him, moving to stand up. “She’s not going to hurt any stupid plan of yours. In fact, she’s—“

“If you are worried over me courting her before you, I did just explain my lack of a desire for such an attempt.” Artemis’ comment made Lucy’s face turn red, glancing towards Natsu who was only frowning.

“Court? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Even Wendy was blushing, uncomfortable listening in. “Um…well, it’s when…well…” She was stuttering, trying to explain but apparently not quite willing to follow through on it.

“I think we’re getting off topic.” Gray spoke, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes. “We were supposed to be talking about why Zeref is here, in your house, rather than dead on Tenrou Island like we all thought. After Acnologia attacked, we figured anyone else on the island that wasn’t protected by our guild’s spell had died.”

“You keep mentioning this Acnologia. I find myself unaware of the name, actually. Is he really the reason your guild vanished entirely back then?” The elder Artemis spoke.

“Acnologia was a monster.” Natsu spoke, his hands clenching into fists. “If I ever see him again…I’ll make him pay for what he did.”

“Whatever this Acnologia is, I am certain you are no more prepared to face him now than you were then. Simply put, not enough time has passed since you returned for your strength to have grown in any immense way.” Artemis paused for a moment, frowning. “Well, perhaps that is incorrect. Certain variations of time magic, as well as specialized training methods could allow for it…but they are not recommended and can put immense strain on the body.”

“Artemis, could you please stop changing the subject?” Gray spoke, glaring at the child. However, both of the two men looked towards him in response, before the elder Artemis sighed and shook his head.

“Ah, I forgot how confusing this can be, having a conversation with my son in the room.” The younger Artemis shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “While it is not my preference, I suppose the last few years have gotten me used to it. To keep things clear, please call me Timmy, or Mr. Fowl, if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Timmy?” Happy sniggered, grinning on the chair. “That’s a weird nickname.”

“It’s what Angeline calls me.” Timmy spoke dryly, while Lucy smiled and nodded.

“Still not hearing anything about Zeref.” Gray crossed his arms over his chest, and this time, Lucy looked away seeing that his shirt was now lost. 

Artemis noticed this as well, frowning at the boy. “I’m sorry for changing the subject once more, but is there a reason you’ve just removed your shirt?”

Blinking, Gray glanced down with slightly wider eyes. “Wait, when did that happen?” Even Artemis blinked, looking uncertain of how to respond. Then, Gray just shook his head. “Never mind, it’s not that important.”

“Ah…well, if that is the case, I suppose I should help my father explain, since his own curiosity about you will leave us all moving no where with this conversation.” Timmy seemed to smile at his son, shaking his head as Artemis leaned forward. “To put things simply, Zeref is here because we are researching his magic. As Lucy has seen, there is a curse placed upon him that is the reason behind so many of the actions we know him for today. My goal is to devise a method of reversing this spell, while my father desires to unravel the aspect of it that provides Zeref with immortality.”

“A curse? It seems unusual that a curse would create demons.” Erza crossed her legs, frowning and gazing at the floor.

Gray seemed to look away at the mention of demons, scowling. “Yeah, not to mention all the people he’s killed. No one would want to create a curse like that. It punishes way too many people, not just one individual.”

“Actually…it does cause those deaths.” Lucy frowned, remembering the black haze she had seen when she first saw Zeref. That must have been his death magic. “He can’t control the death magic he has…and when you talk to him…you can immediately see that something isn’t right. Just a few moments in and I could already hear him arguing with himself over certain things…though, I guess the main thing he argued about was Natsu.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that bit too. How the hell does a wizard from four hundred years ago know me?”

For that, Lucy turned towards the Fowls. Both men shared a look, before Timmy glanced back towards her. “To be honest, I’ve never heard him utter Natsu’s name in the past. He was never really one for conversation, always silently letting me perform my work.”

The younger Artemis focused his gaze on Lucy with narrowed eyes. “Your theories match my own about the matter.” Lucy couldn’t help but think back to their conversation with Zeref when the black wizard was talking about ending his own life. She had suggested that Natsu was END based on Zeref’s comment. “If you wish to disregard the possibility, do not blame me for the result.” Artemis shrugged, leaning back. “Though…I suppose we could be incorrect. It isn’t as if Zeref ever confirmed the theory or not.” 

Looking away, Lucy stayed silent on the matter. She wouldn’t accept that Natsu was just some creation of Zeref’s. It wasn’t possible. All of his smiles and jokes, even the annoying times he broke into her house, they were just too much a part of him for her to believe it was all some fabrication. Natsu was his own person, no matter what Zeref said. “Regardless, I do believe there is little reason for you to linger. I have a new idea in the works already, and work must be done to arrange my first move on the matter.”

Artemis spoke swiftly, rising to his feet as if dismissing them. “Arty, they are our guests. After what you put them through, the least we can do is give them answers to their questions.” The young Fowl glared at his father in response, but took his seat once more and looked away.

“Of course, Father. I meant no disrespect.”

Hearing that, Lucy actually stood up herself with a slight smile. “Actually, it’s alright. I don’t really think there’s much more Artemis could tell us about Zeref anyway.”

“And as much as I’d like to punch that kid for what he did to Lucy, I can’t say I blame him for wanting to find you.” Gray rubbed the back of his neck, standing up himself. “I lost my old man a while back, so I know what it feels like to be alone. In the future, don’t let the darkness take over your decisions, kid. It’s not healthy for yourself or others around you.”

With that advice, Gray began moving to leave. “Indeed, we also have work to be done. I do believe it is time to resume the declaration of Mavis’ guild-wide mission for Fairy Tail.” Erza paused, glancing towards Lucy. “Lucy, are you feeling up to the task?”

Glancing at her team, Lucy thought back to her own desire for a break. Really, sitting around at home had been the start of all of this. Glancing towards Artemis one last time, she hesitated before smiling and nodding. “Sure am! Come on, let’s get back to Fairy Tail and see what Mavis has in mind!” With that, Lucy and her team left to return home. However, behind them, a young boy was smiling, his mind racing with new plans based on the vague advice from a black wizard who was on the verge of starting a war that could potentially destroy the world everyone knew.


	14. Find that Which Lives in Her Heart

Within just a few days, Lucy found herself back at Fairy Tail, smiling as if nothing had ever happened. Despite returning only hours after leaving Fowl Manor, Mavis had insisted on letting her rest while she made the proper preparations for her major announcement. After all, a job like this one where she’d grant any request was pretty big. Lucy wondered if anyone would ask for something ridiculous like all of the guild’s jewel that was stored away for the constant repairs they were needing. Some people would be crazy enough to make a request like that, after all.

Next to her, Natsu was sitting with a grin. “You ready for this, Luce? We’re totally getting that reward.”

“Well, as much as I’d like to think so…we are up against a lot of powerful teams.” Lucy frowned, thinking about Laxus and his team. If it came down to a fight, Laxus just might be able to beat them out of it. If it had anything to do with puzzles, she was certain Team Shadowgear would succeed instead. Really, each team had their own strengths, and while she loved her own, there was no telling who would actually win this competition until the job was given. 

Behind her, even Mira nodded. “I know! Isn’t it so exciting?” Glancing back in surprise, Lucy’s jaw dropped while Natsu blinked at her and smiled.

“You’re competing too, Mira? I haven’t seen you take a job in ages.”

“Mmhm!” She smiled, tilting her head slightly. “After all, it isn’t as if the first is giving us much of a choice. She’s so excited about this, and I just can’t wait to see the look on her face when someone succeeds!”

“Well, if you’re competing, does that mean you’re working with a team too?” Lucy didn’t really know who Mira worked with. Sure, she had her siblings, but imagining an actual team with her involved just seemed odd.

“Well…Lisanna wanted us to have some more family bonding time. With everything going on, we haven’t exactly gotten to do much as a family lately.” Really, Lucy knew the feeling. With Fairy Tail, life was a roller coaster. There was always one disaster after another, but it was part of what made the guild so much fun. “So, the three of us will be working together! It’s our first time since…well, I’m certain you remember, Natsu.”

The dragon slayer nodded, while Lucy watched him with a frown. Losing Lisanna had been a rough moment for him, or at least that was what she had heard. She’d always been too afraid to ask Natsu himself about it. For a guy that was always smiling, she didn’t know how he’d react to talking about his own pain. She preferred to just let him keep it hidden inside, behind those smiles he showed the guild. He had lost too much for her to want to push him into sharing something he wasn’t ready to talk about.

“Well, you guys better be ready to fight hard. After all, you said it yourself…I’m a part of Fairy Tail’s strongest team, right here!”

Natsu threw an arm over Lucy’s shoulders, grinning brightly at Mira. The transformation wizard seemed to lean forward, a smirk on her face as she took his words like a challenge. “Really? Well, I guess you’ve never really seen what I can do with my family. When we win, I’m going to get Mavis to force all of the Fairy Tail couples to go on one massive group date!”

Leaning back, Lucy blinked at her with wide eyes. What kind of a threat was that supposed to be? “Wait…what do you mean couples? No one here is actually dating…” Lucy trailed off, glancing at the guild. Well, she supposed Alzack and Bisca had gotten married, but that wasn’t really something new.

“All the ones the guild insists are not real, of course.” She had a bright smile again, leaning towards Lucy. “And I assure you, there is one particular boy for you that I think would be perfect, Lucy! Oh, and I have ideas for Wendy, and Erza, oh…don’t forget about Juvia…” She was now just listing off almost any female wizard in the guild with her idea. 

“Huh…why are you so worried about that, Lucy? I mean, it’s not like a date is the end of the world.” Natsu frowned at the celestial wizard, who’s cheeks grew red again. Mira would likely be setting her up with him, wouldn’t she? She knew that girl had always been trying to get them together, but this would just make it worse if she won.

Looking away, Lucy tried to give him some kind of reason that hid her true concern. “Uh…well, it’s just that…I had a great thing to ask for too! Yeah, from Mavis…I wanted to…um, borrow some books! Yeah, she told me about this huge library that she had on Tenrou Island once and I wanted to read some of them…” She laughed nervously rubbing the back of her head. “Silly, right? But reading always inspires me to write, so that’s what I’ve gotta do to improve my novel.”

“Oh, that makes sense!” Natsu smiled a toothy grin, turning around in his seat. “Don’t worry, Lucy. We’ll win and get those books for ya, I promise.”

Nodding, Lucy sunk back in her seat, letting out a breath of relief. Meanwhile, the rest of the guild seemed to be gathering into their teams, waiting for Mavis’ announcement. The first master had even hung banners all across the guild for the event, decorating them with the words ‘Fairy Tail’s Greatest Adventure’ written across all of them. The guild mark accented each banner, making it look like the decorative fairies were facing the center of each banner.

At a table grouped together, Lucy could see Levy and her team getting prepared. Surprisingly, she spotted Gajeel and Pantherlily with them, leaning over the table and working together. There seemed to be some tension between the three guys, but Gajeel ignored it fairly easily. As usual, Alzack and Bisca were gathered together, already preparing their guns for the mission. Nab was still too busy staring at the job board to join anyone, but Juvia, Cana, and Laki had formed an unusual trio as well. Juvia seemed to be crying, glancing towards Gray as he sat with Erza and Wendy. Lucy thought she heard her mutter something about wanting to be on Gray’s team, but she didn’t really focus too much on her words.

Under the largest banner, sitting on the stairs, Makarov and Mavis had gathered. With a huge smile, Mavis rose to her feet and lifted her hands in the air. “Good morning everyone! I hope you are all ready for this amazing day!” She spoke brightly, her words ringing out in the guild and cutting over the noise. After a moment, conversations slowly stopped, and wizards turned to gaze at their first master with intense looks of focus.

Clasping her hands together, Mavis descended the few stairs she had been using to keep herself elevated above the guild. “Now that we’re all prepared, and now that we’ve got all our members back, it is time for the job you’ve all been waiting for. Fairy Tail’s greatest adventure yet is about to begin! I can’t believe you’re all actually going to participate!” She had stars in her eyes, glancing back towards Makarov who sighed and shook his head.

“Mavis…you know how unlikely it is for them to succeed. Why not just let them get back to their real work and forget this fool’s errand?”

Shaking her head, Mavis placed her hands on her hips with a slight pout. “No! Makarov, I put so much work into this plan. Someone has to succeed, I just know someone will. After all, I did put plenty of motivation in their hearts, and with that, anything becomes possible.” She turned back towards the others, spinning around on her bare feet with a smile. “Now, I’m certain all of you are curious to know just what kind of mission you will be performing. In a vague sense…this is a mission that has always been close to my heart, something I’ve longed to start since I was only a child, before Fairy Tail was even born. Now, I no longer have the ability to take the job myself…so I am asking all of you to do it for me. I don’t know what I can offer you in return for this…but if any of you succeed, I will grant any desire of yours, so long as it is within my power to accomplish.”

“Now that’s a real man’s reward!” Elfman shouted out amongst the guild, grinning wildly at the first master.

“I’m robbing you blind, First! You’re getting me all the alcohol I can drink when we finish this job of yours.” Cana grinned, while Juvia squirmed by her side.

“If only she could grant me a moment alone with my beloved Gray…” 

“I just want an endless supply of fish.” Happy spoke, glancing towards the others.

“Here we go again…another job bringing up their false hopes.” Makarov sighed, shaking his head. “I do hope you know what you are doing, Mavis.”

Nodding eagerly, Mavis jumped onto one of the table and stood as tall as she could manage. “Now, all of you know much about our guild. How many know our founding principles, the question that created our very name?”

People frowned, sharing looks between themselves. Lucy had heard it to some degree, but she could see no one understood how it related to the job. “Do fairies have tails? Do they even exist? Right now, it is time for us to begin the never ending adventure of answering these questions.” Lucy had a sinking feeling about where this was going. “Fairy Tail wizards…I ask for you to help me find a real fairy! Bring me to one, bring one to me, or even take a picture. All I ask is for proof…some proof that shows they are real, and answers the question that founded our guild.”

“Wait…did she just ask us to find a fairy?” Bisca frowned, glancing towards her family. She had planned on working with them for the job, but they no longer looked quite so certain.

Next to Elfman, Lisanna smiled. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be fun, right?”

Pressing her hands to her chest, Mavis lowered her head. “I know, this is not an easy task. Many of you probably think such a job is impossible…but I’ve always believed that one day, I’d finally see a fairy. It has been my dream…and I hope that one of you will be able to make it come true, just as I will reward you by making one of your dreams a reality. Any assistance you need, just ask and I will grant it to you. After all, this is my job as well, and in order to remain impartial, I will aid any and all teams that wish for my guidance. Makarov shall do the same.”

The current guild master nodded, glaring at the floor. “Not like I could help anyway. These brats don’t even know how many times you’ve tried this stunt in the past.”

“Well…I only asked Precht and Yuri to go fairy searching with me once…” Mavis trailed off, frowning and tapping a finger to her chin. “But it didn’t work out. Besides, at the time, I was too busy focusing on the fairies in my heart to search for real fairies.”

“Well, if you’re going to give us a crazy job like that, at least tell us something about fairies so we know where to start!” Laki shouted out, frowning from her seat.

Nodding, Levy frowned as well. “I can’t help but agree. It’s not like factual books speak much on fairies. The stories about them are pure fiction, mere speculation about magical creatures of that nature.”

Sitting on the table, Mavis let her legs swing over the edge of it as she smiled. “Of course! I’d be happy to tell you all about the fairies. As a little girl, I learned so much about them from stories I’d read in my first guild hall. First, fairies don’t like people who cry. It makes them sad too, so if you stay happy and keep smiling, you are far more likely to meet one.”

With a story like that, suddenly a lot of Mavis’ personality made much more sense to Lucy. It was crazy, but the girl seemed rather obsessed with her dream of finding one of them. “Now, what else? Oh, I suppose they’re very good at hiding. I searched for them everywhere on Tenrou Island and saw no signs of their existence, so they must not like forests like a lot of stories claim. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in town either, so I suppose they don’t like cities either.”

“Well, that’s rather vague.” Warren spoke, shaking his head and glancing at Max, who seemed to be his partner on this job.

“At least it narrows it some of our search range down.” Max still rolled his eyes, even though he tried to be optimistic with his comment.

“Hey! You try and find a fairy and then tell me it’s easy to explain them to others.” Mavis pouted, while Max seemed to shrug, holding his hands up in surrender. Nodding, Mavis smiled again and focused back on the others. “Now…this last piece is nothing more than a rumor, since I haven’t actually seen it yet…but I read in one of my stories that somewhere, there exists a book on all knowledge the fairies posses. Any lore about them, details about where they live and their culture…it exists in that book.” Mavis laughed slightly, rubbing the back of her head. “But I guess that’s not easy to believe, right? I only read about it in a fictional story about fairies after all.”

“A book, huh?” Jet glanced towards Droy, who grinned back at him.

“Sounds like a perfect thing for our Levy!”

Shaking her head, Levy sighed and glanced back towards Mavis. Still, she had a smile on her face, her gaze focused and thoughtful. “Guys, it won’t be helpful unless we can actually find it.” Turning back towards them, Levy frowned. “Still…the idea is interesting. Discovering a new race would be so much easier with a guidebook like that in our hands.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to hope you find it before us.” Gray grinned at her, rising to his feet and moving towards Lucy and Natsu. “After all, we’re going to find that fairy first, right?”

“I can’t believe it! Do you really think it’s possible for fairies to exist?” Wendy clapped her hands together, looking just a little less excited than Mavis. As one of the youngest members of the guild, it was expected that her own imagination was a bit more active than the others.

Smiling, Erza nodded. “If our first master says that is the case, then it must be true. Now, I must get packed so we can be off on our task. Surely, we have some camping endeavors in our future.”

“But…didn’t Mavis say fairies don’t like forests?” Lucy frowned at Erza, wondering if she should have just stayed silent rather than correcting Erza.

Nodding, the scarlet haired wizard smiled, making Lucy release the breath she had been holding. She wasn’t mad, then. “Indeed, but we will not be camping in a forest. There are plenty of deserts and caves to rest in instead, and one is likely to have some form of clue on these magical fairy creatures.”

With that, Lucy sighed and shook her head. Part of her knew this guild could be crazy, but she had not expected this. “I can’t believe I’m going on a job to search for fairies…someone please tell me this is just some weird dream…” Lucy moaned, hanging her head. 

Patting her shoulder, Natsu grinned. “Cheer up, Lucy! We’ve got an awesome new job, and besides, you’ll get to read a book if we win or lose. Don’t you think it’d be interesting to read that fairy book Mavis was talking about?”

Lucy snorted, shaking her head. Such a book wasn’t real, just like fairies weren’t real. However, it could still be fun, traveling with her friends for this mission. So, she kept her mouth shut and just followed after Erza. After all, someone needed to try and restrict what that woman packed on this job. Taking too much stuff would only slow them down, and Lucy wanted to make sure they realized how impossible this would be sooner rather than later. Otherwise, she’d never get back in time to make enough jewel to cover her rent.


	15. The Benefit of False Conclusions

While Fairy Tail was beginning on their own special job from Mavis, Artemis Fowl II was working on the second stage of his own. In just one week, Artemis had managed to uncover more about fairies than any human before him had done in years. Why? To uncover the secrets of Zeref’s curse, of course. While Artemis had questioned if Zeref had truly been referring to Lucy’s guild, the smugness about how he had hinted about the darkness in fairies made him question if there was something more to it. When he considered the taunt about some supernatural figure granting him the curse, it only confirmed his suspicions. Fairies were real, and Zeref was suggesting that one of them was responsible for his curse.

Now, normally Artemis would require proof before believing such an outrageous belief. It wasn’t an easy thing to believe in, especially when he worked so heavily in facts and evidence. To be honest, Artemis himself questioned why it was so simple to accept it as fact. Magic was all around them, so it made sense that humans weren’t the only beings capable of using it. Considering how little of the outside world mankind had explored, it only added fuel to the belief that something else had the potential to exist, if people simply knew where to look.

At first, his search had started in Ho Chi Minh City, a place for people who participated in some more dubious actions on the wrong side of the law. Criminals and pickpockets crowded the city, and any merchants selling products likely had stolen them to make a few quick bucks. However, what brought Artemis were the rumors he had already heard about a few months back, from one of the search parties looking for his father. Rumors stated that somewhere in the city, a healer existed. With healing being a lost magic, Artemis had been intrigued. Now with the potential of fairies being real, he was invested. Perhaps a fairy had been the mystery person healing strangers in the streets. Luckily for him, he had been correct. 

Now, when he found the fairy, he had already been prepared. Before going to the city, he had done his research. Books on fairies were likely false, but each lie needed some form of foundation for people to write about it. So, he searched for commonalities among tales, things that seemed to always be true. Flight, for one, was quite commonly assumed for fairies. Magic was also a common ideal. However, Artemis needed something more solid, something that could give him all the information he needed at once. So, while it was not as common as the other tales, Artemis settled on devising a plan centered around the book, the one claimed to hold all beliefs and procedures followed by the fairy people.

When Artemis found the drunken sprite, he did admit he was surprised by his luck. Normally, plans took a bit more effort to complete, but this one was going more smoothly than he believed possible. It made him question the competence of mankind, wondering how anyone could have failed in this task before him. After observing her for two days, Artemis had returned to concoct what he’d need to strike a deal with the fairy. Alcohol clearly dulled her senses, so he simply needed a method of clearing that away from her system and he would have his chance.

With the potential of gaining all he magic back, the sprite had eagerly handed over her book for a few measly minutes. With a surveillance lacrima, Artemis had stored each and every image contained within for future investigation. He had kept his word, giving her the shot to eliminate the alcohol from her system, and now, he was back home with a project to work on. The secrets of fairies were just below his finger tips, begging him to unravel them. However, the issue was in the translation. While he did have a magical translator, a tool designed to translate any language into english, even that seemed incapable of returning anything beyond pure gibberish. The tool itself looked like a magnifying glass, with magic runes etched onto the outside circular ring holding the glass. The handle was simple and black, capable of being rotated to select which language to translate from. It would only translate to english, but Artemis had seen other models that could translate into multiple languages. For his needs, he had kept it simple and gotten the model for english only.

Books were scattered in the room, helping him with his research. More accurately, they were dictionaries from various languages. He was searching, trying to find some form of commonality that would allow for him to decode the unique hieroglyphics staring back at him. After all, there was no other way to describe the language based on pictures and images rather than letters and words. At least it narrowed down his search to some degree, but it wasn’t enough.

Somewhere in the house, Artemis’ father was tending to his mother. From what he had seen, even his father’s return had not completely snapped Angeline from her depressed haze. The woman was suffering from delusions, sometimes even referring to Artemis senior as her father rather than her husband. Both men were distressed, uncertain of what to do. However, if Artemis could succeed, perhaps this task could accomplish two goals at once. Not only would he unravel Zeref’s curse with the discovery of fairies and their magic, but he would also have someone who could heal his mother’s broken mind.

Butler was standing watch outside the door. Artemis did not want to be interrupted, and with his father’s reformed ways, this work would likely be frowned upon. He didn’t quite know how to act around Artemis senior anymore. Artemis had always strived to be even greater than his father, but it seemed as if his father was no longer the same man that had begun that dream. His ruthlessness had faded, and the cold method his father had begun raising Artemis with had faded over time. Now, Artemis didn’t know how to react to warm suggestions about making friends or finding some toy to play with. Really, if anyone thought Artemis Fowl wanted something as simplistic as a child’s toy, they had to have been insane.

So, instead Artemis tried working side by side with him on his research on Zeref. Artemis senior had allowed that much, now that the man knew Arty was aware of such information. Together, they tried to piece together exactly what it was the curse did. There were obvious things, such as the immortality and death magic, but Artemis was almost certain that there was more to it. Speaking with his father, they had settled on questioning if some form of mental instability was a piece of the curse. If so, what could they do to eradicate such a thing? Artemis needed to know, because otherwise, the unstable black wizard living on the grounds was likely to attack them at some point. Already, Zeref had threatened his life on multiple occasions. It was getting tedious to hear, especially when he had seen the black wizard never acted on such promises. Then again, it wasn’t as if Zeref wasn’t capable, so Artemis hadn’t exactly voiced his complaint in any major regard.

Part of him wondered if he could invite Lucy back to help with their issues. Granted, he had not painted himself in a good light towards Fairy Tail, but Zeref did not seem to be willing to speak much with himself or his father. When Lucy was here, he had been startled by how much the Black Wizard had to say. She seemed to know who he was speaking about, and she asked the right questions without even realizing it. Artemis had observed for most of the conversation, thinking about how to utilize what he had learned. Even now, if Artemis brought up Natsu like she had, Zeref had seemed to learn to just shut down. 

From what he had witnessed, Artemis wondered if she was familiar to him. His comment about offering her condolences for a family loss that had occurred years ago had felt strange even to him. It showed a knowledge of her family that Zeref should not have possessed. He somehow knew the Heartfilias, and there was likely a piece of him that wished to remain in contact with their family. That was the best reason he could come up with for why Zeref spoke to Lucy and not to himself or his father.

Pulling another dictionary towards him, Artemis frowned and began comparing the images to the ones in the lacrima. This one seemed to have some potential. He could see a few figures that were nearly identical in both languages, which surprised him. The dictionary was from a dead language, ancient Egyptian, and made him realize that these fairies had been around far longer than anyone realized. Languages did not bear similarities of this nature unless they were derived from each other. As he set up his translator to read the fairy book, Artemis felt anticipation surge through him. He was going to uncover something here that had not been seen by humans in centuries, then. Part of him wondered if the similarities meant that mankind had once known fairies, but he was too busy focusing on reading to truly debate it for long.

When the words appeared on the backside of his translator, Artemis frowned. Before, it did not even return words. This time, while it was still gibberish, it at least was something legible to him. There were no sentences, not even vague ideas as he tried reading across. So, he knew he at least had the right language. There just had to be some other difference he was missing, something to unlock the secrets hidden away so well. Trying a few various methods, Artemis tried reading the book backwards, in columns, and in other patterns utilized in different cultures. All repeated the same result, so Artemis set the translator down and began inspecting the fairy book’s image in the lacrima closer. He was missing something, he just had to figure out what it was.

When he flipped through the pages, Artemis began to notice a commonality between them all. An odd marking was in every corner, looking oddly like an arrow. With a new starting point, and a potential guideline for how to read, Artemis began anew on the first page. He smiled as the secrets began to unravel before his very eyes, reading the ancient text kept by a race that people believed to be nonexistent. He would achieve great things with this power at his hands, and his father wouldn’t even have to know. 

Satisfied with his initial reading of the book, Artemis got up with a frown. He didn’t even know how long he had been working, to be honest. However, it was time to pay a visit to their captive black wizard. After all, he needed more information. Fairies were not a magical race, at least, not as powerful as legends claimed they were. The book itself told him that they had to utilize some form of ritual to keep their magic in any usable state, so it was highly unlikely that they were able to cast a curse as intricate as the one placed on Zeref.

Moving into the surveillance room, Artemis smiled. His father truly was distracted from his work. In the past, it would have taken a near-death situation to pull Artemis senior away from his research project. Now, it was his son that found himself here more often. Moving to stand in front of the lacrima observing Zeref, Artemis smiled. The black wizard was calmly sitting in the room, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He appeared to be in a meditative trance, though Artemis had little time to humor him about such measures.

“Good evening, Zeref. I do hope you’ve been resting well. Have you been enjoying your stay as of late?” Artemis smiled, watching as the black wizard seemed to frown. He didn’t open his eyes, nor did he move to stand, but he did incline his head ever so slightly. “That is good to see. Now…about the matter of your curse. I know we’ve avoided asking you directly for information, but such work is tedious without more finite details. So, I’ve come to inquire about—“

“No.” Zeref spoke flatly, his gaze lifting. This time, his black eyes did open, and the frown intensified into a slight scowl. “This curse is my own, and it is not for someone of your nature to comprehend.”

“Ah, I suppose you are referring to my plans on marketing the curse?” Artemis watched as Zeref stonily gazed back, not responding. With a nod, Artemis smiled. “Well, then I suppose you would be interested to know that I am starting to believe such an idea is not…wise. Based on my own theorizing, and with the help of my father, we concluded that controlling the death magic obtained from your curse is likely an impossibility. Death magic is valuable, but untamed death magic? Yes, I can see how that would be viewed as little beyond a disaster.”

“Then why do you continue to seek such knowledge out? If you cannot use it for your own gain, there is little purpose in understanding it.” Zeref narrowed his eyes, while Artemis took a seat in the chair in the room. He had brought the fairy book with him, one of a few lacrimas he had stored copies of the book on. Now that he knew how to translate it, he planned on getting to work on writing down an english variation of it, but that would be for a future time.

Turning the lacrima around in his palm, Artemis smiled. “To stop you, of course. Granted, I am not a philanthropist, but I do find myself feeling rather fond of my own existence. Should you succeed in your war, there is every possibility that I will end up dead. That is something I cannot allow…so, I need to understand how to eliminate your curse and thusly, end your immortality. If that cannot be done, a containment spell far more powerful than the one currently on you must be made…either method requires time, and of the two, it seems to be a far more effective plan to eliminate your death magic entirely than it would be to attempt to contain it with a spell that would just fade away over time and ultimately become useless.”

There was an odd smile on Zeref’s face, his head tilted as he studied Artemis. “And you thought I’d wish to aid you? That I would help in planning an event that I already know is impossible?” He let out a slight chuckle, shaking his head. “I’ve studied this curse for years, searched for cures. No such thing exists. All that remains is finding a power greater than that of immortality…finding a power that can surpass my ability to heal and will ultimately destroy me. If that cannot be done…” His smile turned dark, a shadow falling over his face. “Well, you are quite aware of what I will do.”

Letting the lacrima rest in his lap, Artemis leaned forward. “And I will be prepared to stop such an event. Labeling something as impossible is merely due to your inability to comprehend how it can be done. Perhaps our ability has not advanced far enough, perhaps there is something beyond magic we are missing…regardless, if some form of magical spell has been cast, there is always a way to unravel the strands it has left behind.” Touching the lacrima, Artemis leaned back and sighed. “Though, I still fail to see what fairies have to do with your current predicament. Their magic is not powerful enough to result in something like this.”

That seemed to make Zeref frown, glancing towards him. “Fairies?” Then, there seemed to be an odd light in his eyes as he chuckled. “Did you truly interpret my words so literally?”

Artemis frowned, looking away. He disliked being teased, especially on his own intellect. Perhaps he had drawn the incorrect conclusion, but it had led to a breakthrough of a different nature. “Perhaps, but there was legitimate truth within them. Whatever power you speak of was hinted at being something beyond the capability of wizards. Then, you taunted us with words of fairies and vague hints of darkness…to Lucy, this was a reference to Fairy Tail, but to me, I saw it in broader terms. A magical being that I would typically not believe in…I do believe fairies fall under that category.”

This time, Zeref’s smile was fading. “You speak as if you truly believe them to be real.” Artemis nodded, his blue eyes locking on Zeref’s lacrima once more. The black wizard was tilting his head, a frown now fixed on his face. His eyes were distant and unfocused, but after a moment, he shook his head and let them close. “No, it isn’t possible. I just had an odd moment…I had forgotten how many years had passed.”

“What is not possible?”

His eyes opened again, locking on Artemis’. “For you to have spoken with Mavis. Unless…unless she has returned.” He was quiet, and unlike most occasions, Artemis could not see signs of his former instability. As he spoke of this Mavis, his gaze was clear, albeit filled with sadness despite his lack of tears. “She believed they were quite real as well. If it were not for me…perhaps she may have found reason to believe they could cure her as well.”

Based on what he had read, Artemis truly did not know if the fairies, or the People as they seemed to reference themselves, would be capable of such a feat. “There is no telling until we understand them further, Black Wizard. Perhaps you were too quick to dissuade her from her attempts to locate them.”

“Are you…are you truly searching for them?” Zeref had an odd look of pure confusion in his gaze. The mixture of that and disbelief didn’t suit him that well. After a moment, Artemis simply nodded, frowning and wondering why it gave the black wizard such an interest. However, the distant look returned to his eyes as he saw Artemis’ gesture. “I see…perhaps you are like her, then. If…if you find something…” He broke off, his brow furrowing. “Why? She’s gone, it isn’t as if…” He rubbed his head, sucking in a sharp breath. “Still, I feel it when she is near. She would want to see one.”

His ramblings made some sense to Artemis this time, though he couldn’t piece together everything. Somehow, this Mavis had an interest in fairies. Zeref also cared for her, in some way. Smiling, he realized he had something to use this time. “Is that a request, Black Wizard? Because if you desire something from me, I will ask something in return.”

Zeref’s black eyes grew cold very quickly at those words, his body stilling and his neck stiffening. “If you wish to know the details of my curse, then such a price is not worth it. As I stated before—“

“What about a compromise?” Artemis interrupted, watching as the man shut his mouth into a hard line. He seemed to be waiting for Artemis to continue, his brow furrowed as he remained seated on the ground. “Bringing a captive of mine to visit some random person is hardly a huge endeavor. More of a minor inconvenience…so I shall not ask for something huge in return. No, all I wish for are two things. One, the name of your curse. Two, the name of the one who gave it to you. These meet your own conditions, do they not? After all, if it is a name that I will not recognize, that is uncommon enough for your own magic to be unrecognizable, then it hardly justifies such fierce protection.”

The Black Wizard seemed to pause, thinking over his words. Zeref sat completely still, his back arched slightly as he leaned forward and bent his head down over his lap. His gaze seemed locked on his palms, which were resting face up in his crossed legs. After a moment, he slowly spoke softly, his voice barely heard. “It is the least I can do for her…to make up for what I’ve done…and perhaps what I will do.” Artemis wondered just what his history was with this Mavis, but it was unlikely to get such a story out of the elusive man. He was lucky to have gotten this much of a conversation with him, all things considered. “Ankhseram is the name you are looking for…and Ankhseram’s curse, the curse I bear, was once known as the Curse of Contradictions.”

There was a moment where Artemis smiled at the idea of the name. It fit perfectly, and bore a certain element of irony just thinking about it. After all, had he and his father not assumed it was a gift when they first discovered Zeref’s immortality? Seeing the rest of the toll, it became clear that was not the case. However, even possessing the ability to look like a gift when it was a curse just made the name all the more fitting. “Interesting. And I suppose I shall promise that if I ever find a fairy, and if I ever do discover who this Mavis is, she will be the first to meet my discovery.”

There was something chilling in the way Zeref’s had snapped upward, glaring harshly at Artemis. “No, you will guarantee she sees it.” That made Artemis frown, turning towards him. He spoke of the girl as if she were dead, so how could he do such a thing? However, Zeref continued, not noticing the slight look of puzzlement on Artemis’ face. “She…she will be with Fairy Tail, I know she will. Once you discover your fairy…you will bring it to their guild. You will tell them to get Mavis…and please…tell her I’m sorry. Tell her that I cannot stop it anymore…that soon, there will be no stopping me. I will reject this world…and I promise, it will be no mere battle. It will be a one-sided annihilation, and she…she needs to help Natsu prepare to stop me…” He trailed off, biting his lip. The instability seemed to be returning now, and Artemis began rising to his feet. “No…I need to stop her. Planning…she’s always planning, but I can plan more. I’ve seen more, killed more, she cannot possibly fathom a method to stop me, not when…but…someone has to…or I have to…”

Leaving the man to his struggles, Artemis quietly slipped out of the room. Those ominous words rang in his mind, making him wonder if this really would be enough. Could a fairy, a being whose magic was not nearly as powerful as a wizard, truly stop such a strong curse? Most would say no, but Artemis saw potential. After all, the book had outlined magical processes in a way that made him believe they had methods of avoiding such a thing. After all, the device known as a bio-bomb seemed oddly similar to Zeref’s own magic, harming only living things and nothing else. If they could create such a device with science alone, perhaps they could stop a magical variation on their own creation. Right now, with magic being an impossible option, Artemis had little else to go on. Still, before he found them, he had research to do. Finding out who this Ankhseram was would be an interesting task, but Artemis wasn’t one to give up so easily. While he began devising a plan to capture a fairy and question one about how to deal with Zeref, he would be researching just what kind of power they were truly up against when attempting to stop the Black Wizard.


	16. Necessary Lodging and Funding

Lucy expected a time-consuming job with this from day one. With her team, it likely would be a bit of an interesting ride as well. To start, there was the train ride away from Magnolia. “If there were fairies nearby, the First would have found them by now.” Erza’s logic to leave was something no one wanted to argue against. So, Lucy had been fine with the idea of a train ride. The issue came from Natsu. As usual, the dragon slayer’s motion sickness took control from the moment the train began rolling down the tracks. Then, when they arrived at their destination far to the north, Natsu had been pretty out of it. So, while the rest of them had finished unloading and leaving the train, Natsu was still onboard when the doors shut once more. This added another delay, forcing them to wait for the train to return once more with Natsu ready to leave.

With the dragon slayer grumbling about never riding a train again, they began exploring their new town. Durvaine was a rather common place, just a bit smaller than Magnolia. However, the landscape was a bit different. Instead of grass filling lawns, Lucy could see dirt decorated with a few small shrubs. The roads were still paved, but some paths that were less traveled seem to have taken a quicker route of just smoothing out the ground instead. People walking were far more common than the sight of cars as well, making Lucy realize that few travelers drove through. People here lived here, and there were even fewer tourist-styled shops to display that. Restaurants were smaller, family-owned businesses, and clothing stores sold home-made designs rather than more popular well-known brands. She could even see a few Heart Creuz knock-off items, trying to mimic the design but failing to completely perfect it with the slightly off stitching style used.

Even with the smaller businesses and the less-populated feel, Lucy couldn’t help but be impressed by the homes in the residential area. “So, are we moving with a plan, or what?” Gray asked, frowning around him. The homes were large and lavish, nearly all of them looking practically new. Lawns, while not green, were taken care of and decorated tastefully for their neighbors. She found it hard to believe any of them would really have issues with something like leaves or snow, but it still took some kind of work to keep shrubs trimmed and organized, as well as decorations cleaned and presentable.

“You know, I think it’s just fun to work on this together, even if we don’t have a plan.” Wendy smiled, with Charle in her arms. “I mean, it’s not like a job like this is something we can plan for, right?”

“I still think it is ridiculous, overall.” Charle frowned, glancing towards the others. “Honestly, who thought searching for fairies was such a brilliant idea?”

“That would be our first master.” Erza spoke, her eyes narrowing at the white cat. “You would be wise to respect her wisdom, Charle. If she claims such a creature is real, then we shall find it somewhere.”

“Yeah…but why’d we have to go so far away to do that?” Natsu complained, with Happy flying by his shoulder. “I still feel a bit dizzy from that train ride…and you guys tried to leave me behind.”

“It’s not their fault that you can’t seem to notice when a train stops moving.” Lucy shook her head at him, frowning and glancing back towards Gray. “As for finding a fairy, I really think I have to agree with Wendy, though. It’s not like we can just ask around if someone has seen a fairy or not.”

Continuing their walk, Erza nodded and smiled. “Indeed, but that still does not mean we are going into this without some form of idea in mind. After all, for such a long mission, funding will be required.” Stopping, Erza turned around and began reaching into one of her many suitcases for something. When she returned, she had papers in her hands and she was passing them out to everyone. Glancing down at hers, Lucy blinked in surprise at the sight of a regular job request from the guild. “Now, while we search for these rumored fairies, we will fund our task by completing minor jobs along the way. I’ve selected Durvaine as our first destination because it is the place that held the job with the highest reward. Apparently, there has been a series of robberies occurring in town, and someone wishes for a wizard to put a stop to it.”

That seemed to perk Natsu right up. He lifted his head, grinning and nodding towards her. “Is that so? Well, I guess we’re perfect for the job.” Pounding his fist into his palm, he smirked. “I’m getting fired up.”

“Cool it for a moment. First, we’ve gotta find the guy. For that, we need to take some time and figure out what kind of houses he’s been targeting.” Gray folded his own job request, holding it by his side as they began walking again.

“Actually, I had something else in mind for us to start with.” Erza smiled, leading them down the path that now seemed to be heading out of town. Lucy frowned, but didn’t interrupt Erza about the matter quite yet. “Since we have already concluded that fairies will not be found in town, I have taken the liberty of studying the area surrounding Durvaine. There appears to be plenty of cavernous regions within the canyons nearby that would serve as excellent shelters for us on this mission. They are only a fifteen minute walk away from town, too.”

“Wait…like a cave?” Lucy blinked at her, before groaning and hanging her head. “That’s gotta be one of the worst places you’ve suggested yet. I miss my bed already…”

“Think of it like camping, Lucy!” Wendy smiled, looking eager. “Sure, it’s going to be a bit different, but maybe we’ll actually find something out there. I think it’d be pretty amazing if we actually did find a fairy…not to mention Mavis’ reward.”

“Yeah, plus it’ll give you a break from that annoying rent you’re always complaining about.” Natsu grinned at her, while Lucy just sighed and shook her head.

“Natsu…that’s not how it works…” 

By his side, Happy frowned. “Wait…you have to pay for your apartment when you’re not there?” Lucy stared at the cat, watching as he frowned. “But…that’s not fair! It’s like having Natsu pay for fish that no one eats!”

“You think any fish not getting eaten is a waste.” Charle shook her head, while Happy pouted.

“Well, what else would you catch a fish for?”

“Some people do it for recreational purposes.” Charle crossed her arms over her chest, while Happy glanced away, not even trying to counter her. “As for Lucy’s situation, it is entirely different. The landlord of her home needs to obtain funds somehow, and so long as that apartment is reserved for Lucy, she must pay for it.”

“Oh…I guess that makes sense.”

Natsu nodded, still looking eager. “Huh, I guess she’s right. Still, isn’t it good to get away for now? I mean…it can’t feel good being there after what happened.”

Recalling how easily Artemis had taken her from her own home, Lucy hugged herself and nodded. “Yeah…it kinda is, I guess. It’s not like he did anything horrible to me either…but it just doesn’t feel the same. Is something wrong with me for being paranoid over nothing?”

Natsu touched her shoulder, smiling and squeezing her arm slightly. He released her after a moment, turning his focus towards the direction they were walking. “That’s just because your home doesn’t feel safe anymore. I kinda feel that way too, when my house smells like a stranger. Takes a bit for it to feel like home again, and getting away normally helps me forget about it.”

“Dude, no one ever enters your house. Since when does it smell weird?”

Glaring back at Gray, Natsu scowled. “Hey! This one time, someone tried to take away all of our food stores! Happy and I had to go on an emergency fishing trip to stock back up. Not to mention the fact that Lucy’s place smells weird all the time. How does she even relax with that?”

“I’ve never noticed an odd odor in her room.” Erza spoke, frowning thoughtfully.

Rubbing the back of his head, Gray seemed to be joining in. “Huh…I guess it might’ve smelled a bit different, but I always just thought it was her home”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lucy glared at him, before turning on the others. “And why are we all talking about how my house smells? It’s my house, stop barging in like you own it!” Blinking, Lucy belatedly realized they were actually having this conversation out of their apartment. She had briefly pictured them all back home, in a place where she’d be complaining about things like this far more often.

“We are there because we are your friends, Lucy. Do friends not look after each other after experiences like the one you just had?” Erza spoke calmly, giving her a small smile.

Slowly, Lucy nodded and sighed. “Yeah, we just want to make sure you know we’ve got your back.” Gray crossed his arms over his chest, while Wendy smiled and nodded.

“Plus, it’s always so cozy there! I just love visiting you, it’s one of the places I know I can always go to if I need advice.” At least Wendy asked before showing up at her house, unlike the others. The only time she had barged in was with the others, and she had apologized immensely afterwords.

“I suppose I only go because Wendy does, but that does not mean your welfare does not concern me either. Traumatic events tend to linger for quite some time in the mind, after all.” Charle spoke calmly, while Happy frowned between them all.

Nodding, Natsu wrapped his arm around her shoulders with a toothy grin. “Yup! And I go because it feels like home.” He paused for a moment, frowning. “Well, at least when you haven’t had visitors in a while. But even then, it still smells like you, and that’s enough to tell me you’re alright.”

Lucy felt heat rush to her cheeks. Natsu never even realized the kinds of things he said, yet she couldn’t help but see romantic undertones to his comments. The dragon slayer was the most oblivious person she had ever met, but it didn’t stop her heart from stuttering at what he said, despite her knowing he would never mean it that way. “Uh…right…”

With a grin, Happy flew between them, sniggering. “You liiiike her!” 

With a glare, Lucy reached out to smack him. “Shut up you stupid cat!” Happy flew out of range too quickly, still laughing. 

By her side, Natsu was frowning, his gaze still locked on Lucy. Turning to see him looking at her, Lucy frowned for a moment. “Wh-what are you looking at?”

After a moment, he shrugged and began walking ahead of her. “Nothing. Just glad to have you back, that’s all.” Hearing that, Lucy smiled again. It was good to be back too, despite the small irritations her team gave her. They were her friends, and she wouldn't trade them away for anything. 

“It appears as if we’ve arrived.” Erza interrupted them, making Lucy blink and glance around. She hadn’t even noticed how far they had walked, and now that she had, she could see a dramatic change in landscape. Instead of seeing buildings, Lucy saw rocky plateaus and hills surrounding the area. In front of them, a mountainous rock towered over them, with a hole burrowed into the side to form the cave Erza was referring to. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gray frowned at the sight. “Looks like we’re in for a rough night again. Guess I should have expected as much with a job like this.” He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh. They normally found inns, but on their way to jobs, sometimes they were forced to camp out in the forest when they got tired between towns.

“Wait…I don’t think I remembered to pack my sleeping bag…” Wendy trailed off, biting her lip. “Do you think the ground is really hard?”

“Not to worry, Wendy. I’ve brought spares for everyone, taking the possibility of forgetting into account.” Erza spoke proudly, patting her large cart of luggage. Still wondering how she had managed to drag so much along, Lucy just shook her head and began moving inside. The others followed quickly, letting the darkness of the cave settle over them for a moment. Soon, Natsu lit a flame in his palm, keeping a dull light flickering across the rock walls. “Before we go in, someone should leave to gather wood for a fire. It can bet quite dark inside caves of this nature.”

Gray, Wendy, and the exceed nodded and went to do just that. The rest of them didn’t walk far before Erza sat down, pulling the sleeping bags out of one of her suitcases. “Now, I do not expect us to succeed on our first night. So, I suggest getting rest and we shall begin in the morning. First, we will locate this robber in town. Then, we will begin our search for any fairies in the vicinity.”

However, as Lucy began to sit down and relax, she felt something jab into her backside. Leaning over, she pulled an object out, frowning at the sight of some ornately decorated jewelry box. There was a design made out of embedded red jewels sitting atop of a silver casing. The design itself looked like a flower, with a green stem curling around decoratively on the lid. “Huh? What is this?” She frowned, trying to figure out where it came from. Then, as she turned her head, Lucy froze. Standing just behind her was a very short and hairy man, with narrowed eyes observing them all.


	17. Kleptomaniac

No one knew how to react. Lucy blinked a few times, rising to her feet with the jewelry box in her grip. Next to her, Erza seemed to frown, crossing her arms over her chest as she studied the stranger. Natsu held his flame closer to them, giving them a bit of a better view. As for Wendy, Gray, and the exceed, they still were gathering wood for a fire. The man near her had a lot of hair on his head, not to mention a full beard covering his chin. With brown eyes staring out from all of that hair, she wondered just how long he had been in this cave. “What are you people doing out here? And give me that back.” The man snatched the jewelry box from her hand, frowning at them all.

“Camping out while on a job. We’re from the wizard’s guild known as Fairy Tail.” Erza explained for them, studying the man closely. “My name is Erza, and these are a few members of my team, Lucy and Natsu.”

The man seemed to tilt his head, watching them for a moment. Then, he shrugged and set the box down on the ground by him. “The name’s Maurice Diggson. Hate to ask, but did you bring some extra grub? Haven’t been able to head into town recently to get some.”

Looking around, Lucy couldn’t help but frown at that. Not only did he have the jewelry case, but it looked like there were other rather random objects scattered in the cave. Paintings, jewelry, and even some random coins seemed to scatter around the edges of the cave. “Haven’t been to town, huh? This doesn’t exactly look like you can’t afford to eat, you know.”

“Oh, I know. Shameful, really, but I can’t claim to own any of these fine pieces.” He had a wide-eyed innocent look, staring at Lucy. “You see, these are my family’s. Gave ‘em to me to borrow when I said my house was a dump…they didn’t realize I meant it rather literally.”

“I see. You have a very generous family, in that case.” Erza studied a few of the objects, nodding before focusing back on him. “We did bring along plenty of provisions, and you are more than welcome to join us in our meal, if you could be generous enough to allow us to share this cave with you for the night. I did not realize it was already claimed as someone’s home.”

The man seemed to stroke his beard, rubbing the hairs for a moment before nodding. “Sure, I don’t see why not. You seem like good folk, after all.” He took a seat on the ground, and shortly after, Lucy and her team did the same. “So, what kind of a job brings wizards like you all the way out here?”

“Some guy’s been robbing people in town. We’re supposed to catch him and bring him in.” Natsu shrugged, using his magic to keep their small fire going. “And of course, that means we’re going to fight this guy when we finally do track him down.”

“Natsu, not all jobs have to involve fighting.” Lucy shook her head, while Natsu pouted.

“Come on! I wanna fight with this robber and see how strong he is!”

Maurice was nodding, staring at the flames in Natsu’s hand for a moment before swallowing. “Ah…and you use fire magic, right?” Natsu nodded with a grin, while Maurice looked away. “Sorry, just reminds me of a few chaps I know back home. Got on their bad side, and they tried to roast me alive. Never fond of fire magic since then, to be honest.”

“As soon as our companions return with wood for a fire, Natsu will extinguish his flame.” Erza smiled at him, sitting straight with her legs folded underneath her. “For now, the minor discomfort is worth the benefit of the light.”

Nodding, Maurice eyed the flames and shifted his weight slightly to be slightly further away from Natsu. “I’m pretty good at seeing in the dark, though.” Maurice glanced at her, but he sighed when he seemed to realize there was no changing Erza’s mind. “Had to be, since I grew up working in the mines. Not a speck of light there sometimes, so you work with what you can. Plus, I’m not exactly a wizard either, so I can’t even manage something that would let me see better in the dark.”

“But surely, you do possess some form of magic?” Erza frowned at him, but Maurice only grinned and shook his head.

“Nope. Not a single spark left in me. Gave that away a long time ago in favor of a….different lifestyle.”

That made Lucy frown, leaning forward. “But…you can’t just give up magic! It doesn’t work like that.”

“Family curse. Complicated stuff, but I broke the rules set forth by the curse, and as a result, it took away my magic.” He shrugged, clearly not worried over this curse. However, Lucy shuddered at the idea. There was a curse in existence that could steal away magic. It just didn’t sound right, but it was scary to imagine suffering from one that risked doing that to her. “Anyway, enough about me. My past is boring. I heard you guys mentioning something about fairies a moment ago…?” He hinted at what he wanted to know, while Natsu grinned and leaned forward.

“Sure did! We’re gonna find a fairy and bring it back to Mavis.”

Nodding, Erza smiled. “Indeed. That is our secondary mission, one which will likely take us longer than the first. Locating such a creature will be a difficult task, after all.”

There seemed to be an odd wariness in Maurice’s eyes, but he did continue to force a smile on his face. “Is that so? And what will you be doing with said fairy then?”

Glancing at her team members, Lucy frowned. After a moment, she shrugged and looked back at their odd companion. “Don’t know. Mavis is just a huge fan of fairies, that’s all. She has never seen one before, and asked us as her guild members to give her the chance to see one. It’s kinda…a long story, really. We’re answering our guild’s founding question—do fairies have tails?” 

“I can’t imagine Mavis would seek to harm such a creature. Likely, after she sees one and confirms its tail, or lack thereof, she will release the creature.” Erza spoke calmly, while Maurice nodded.

“Ah. I see…so, have you had any luck?”

Shaking his head, Natsu scowled. “No. This job’s kinda boring, to be honest. Searching for fairies isn’t exactly easy, ya know? Not a lot of clues.”

Leaning forward, Maurice seemed to smile and get an odd glint in his eyes. “Not enough clues? Why, you’re talking to a fairy right here.” When Lucy’s eyes widened blinking at the man, Maurice began cackling, as if he had told the greatest joke in the world. Eventually, Lucy joined in, laughing a bit reluctantly to try and humor the man with a poor sense of humor. “Ah, sorry. You’ll have to excuse me, but something about the looks on your faces just tickled my fancy.” When he finished laughing, he was grinning wildly, tilting his head. “So, you gonna bring me to this Mavis? Because I’d like to meet the wizard strong enough to capture a me.”

There was a frown on Erza’s face. “But…you cannot be a fairy. Do they not have wings? Powerful magic that is unknown even to us? Live in some sort of magical realm allowing them to remain hidden from our sight?” She shook her head after a moment. “No…I can only conclude that you are joking with us, and that we must continue searching elsewhere.”

“Suit yourself. But don’t come crying to me when you realize the truth.” Maurice glanced up towards the entrance of the cave, hearing footsteps. “Got more coming or something?”

Nodding, Lucy smiled. “The rest of our team. With them, we should be able to replace Natsu’s magic with an actual fire.”

That seemed to make the self-proclaimed fairy smile. “Sounds good to me. And I’m guessing that also means we can cook this grub of yours and eat?”

Dropping a handful of wood on the ground, Gray frowned, overhearing his words. “Yeah, but who the heck are you and what are you doing here?”

“Maurice Digson, at your service. I welcome you to my cave-dwelling! Not quite as fancy as my last place, but it’ll do while I’m trying to find a new one.” He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the place around him. Gray glanced towards Lucy, an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, we bumped into him while trying to get set up. This place really is his…but he said we could stay as long as we gave him something to eat.”

Nodding, Wendy smiled and sat down. “That sounds great! It’s always fun to make new friends, isn’t it? So…what kinds of things do you do out here for fun?”

Maurice seemed to pause for a moment, then he shrugged. “Digging. I like to dig…kinda funny, right? Digson…digging…hehe.” He grinned at her, watching as Wendy frowned.

“You…dig holes? But I don’t see a shovel…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

“Don’t need one. I got my own special talents for digging, if you don’t mind.” When he grinned, Lucy thought she saw something a bit odd about his teeth, but she shook her head. She must be imagining things. “Like I told your friends, it all goes back to me being a fairy, but they don’t seem to believe me.” He put on a pout, which Lucy was almost certain was forced.

“You’re a fairy?” Happy stared at him with wide eyes, walking towards him. Maurice seemed to freeze at that, his eyes locking on the talking cat. “Does that mean your wings only come out like mine, when you need to fly?” With that, Happy activated his magic, transforming and growing his wings for a moment to show his point.

Maurice rubbed his eyes, blinking for a moment. “Ah…sorry, I think I may have had a bit too much to drink earlier today…” He frowned, only to see Charle walking and standing next to Happy.

“I highly doubt that. I don’t sense an ounce of magic from this man at all. He’s hardly anything more than a normal mortal, clearly not a fairy at all.”

With the second talking cat, Maurice seemed to glance at the other wizards. “Okay…okay, not drunk. These cats are really talking. And that one has wings…hmm…I guess I can see why you thought I needed them too.” He rubbed the back of his head, glancing towards the others. “I am right, aren’t I? Not going crazy seeing talking cats that can fly…”

“Yeah, they take some getting used to.” Happy frowned back at Lucy for her comment, but Lucy was smiling. “They’re a few of our friends, Happy and Charle. And the others are Gray and Wendy, the rest of our team.”

Nodding, Maurice continued studying the cats. “Oh, okay. So, talking cats are normal then. Must be behind on the times, I guess.” He sighed, shaking his head as Erza began pulling out some of her packed soup to heat up. “So, yeah, no wings at all. Not even like your fancy cat. But I am still a fairy, a fairy dwarf to be exact. If you promise to take me to your fancy wizard guild, I’ll tell you all you want to know about them, promise. Just need to get out of here, to be quite frank.”

“Is it because you lost your home?” Wendy frowned at him, leaning forward.

Maurice paused, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh…yeah, let’s go with that. Lost my home, need a new place…plus, the other fairies aren’t exactly happy with me at the moment. They don’t like wizards, so a wizard’s guild seems like a great place to lay low for a while.”

“But we have no proof that you are, in fact, a fairy.” Erza frowned, watching him closely with narrowed eyes. “You could simply be lying because you are in desperate need of new lodgings. I’ve seen people with less motive lie about such facts before.”

Waving his hands, Maurice’s eyes went wide. “It’s the truth, I swear! See, I’ll even give ya my real name, too. Mulch Diggums. See? Now we’re even, and I’m being completely honest now too.”

“Wait…you gave us a fake name in the first place?” Gray narrowed his eyes. “You’re just a habitual liar, aren’t you?”

Shaking his head, Natsu leaned back. “As much as I hate to agree with Gray, I can’t say I believe him. Though…he does smell kinda weird.” Natsu sniffed the air, while Mulch leaned back with a frown.

“What, does he have bloodhound senses or something?” He seemed to hesitate for a moment, shaking his head. “You know what? Forget I asked. This is just another reason I don’t bother with magic.”

“He smells like dirt…and like…gas.” Natsu frowned at that, studying him closely. “Noticed it when I first came in here, but I figured that would just clear away on its own. But it’s you, isn’t it? You actually smell like…that.”

Blinking, Lucy smelled the air enough. It was very faint, but she could somewhat see what Natsu was saying. Mulch only gave a bashful grin, shrugging and folding his hands behind his back. “So sweet of you to notice! I did just finish digging a nice tunnel before you stopped by, so there’s probably still a few bubbles lodged in the system.” He adjusted his pants, which made Lucy notice the brown trousers were actually the only things he was wearing. “Nah…not enough to really need to expel anything, though.”

“Is he proud of smelling like gas?” Charle frowned in confusion, while Happy shrugged.

“Who knows? Maybe he wants to have a farting contest or something.”

“Eww! Shut up about that, you stupid cat.” Lucy shoved Happy away, scowling and crossing her arms over her chest. In a small, closed off cave, a contest like that would be worse than the jiggle butt gang.

Nodding in agreement, Wendy folded her hands in her lap. “Yes…please, don’t do that…erm…we aren’t exactly in a place for…that sort of thing…” She trailed off, while Lucy smiled. As always, she was trying to be as polite as possible while asking someone to not do something ridiculous.

“Sure, but you gotta do me a favor in return.” Wendy glanced at him, blinking in surprise. “Fairies aren’t exactly supposed to reveal themselves. Kinda a big thing, the secrecy. So, could you keep my true identity under wraps? Don’t want word getting out that Mulch Diggums is telling mud men about our existence, after all. Really, I only did so because I’m in a tight spot and desperate at the moment.”

Wendy nodded, while Lucy slowly did the same. “So…are we seriously taking this guy back as our fairy? Because I’m still not certain if he’s telling the truth…” She trailed off, biting her bottom lip. 

Nearby, Erza slowly began to nod. “I suppose it would not harm anything. If we are incorrect, Mavis will know and we will simply begin our search again. Now, Mulch, or Maurice, whichever you prefer—“

“Maurice, considering we’re going to be with more mud men. Mulch is my real name, only to get you guys to actually listen to me for once.”

“Maurice, then. Would you mind joining us on our return to town? We do have one job to finish before leaving, as it would look bad on Fairy Tail if we did not finish this job.”

The dwarf rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. “Ah…about that. See, you don’t really need to worry anymore…” He laughed again, nervously backing away from the wizards that were narrowing his eyes at him. “Kinda a funny story, really. Did I mention that I’m a bit of a kleptomaniac? That’s what got me into this jam in the first place…both here, and with the fairies. So yeah…I guess you caught me? Erm…when are we leaving?” He seemed to be incredibly nervous, but with an entire team of wizards staring him down, Lucy couldn’t blame the guy. When Erza slammed a fist on his head in anger, Lucy couldn’t help but wince and feel sorry for the guy.

“You idiot! How could you take so many things from those innocent people? Honestly, if you think we’ll just let you get away with that—“

“Erza?” Gray interrupted her rant, touching her arm. “You’ve knocked him out cold. I don’t think he’s gonna hear you for a while now. Let’s just take him back to the guild and be done with this.” Glancing around the cave, Gray chuckled and shook his head. “After all, I think we’ve got plenty of proof that he actually is our thief right in this cave.” Staring at all the random objects scattered along the walls, Lucy couldn’t help but agree. As Natsu picked up the dwarf and hefted Maurice over his shoulder, the rest of them began moving towards the exit. She just hoped he wasn’t that addicted to stealing, because otherwise, Fairy Tail was going to regret meeting this odd little man.


	18. Red Alert

While searches for fairies were beginning and underway above ground, underground, a certain centaur was watching everything unfold on his own monitor, sitting in a modified swivel chair. Really, humans missed so many things by relying too much on magic in their every day lives. Foaly had managed to launch numerous satellites without them noticing, not to mention the hidden cameras he installed in various places around the world to keep an eye out for any potential threats to the People. With the lack of technology above ground, Foaly couldn’t exactly hack into files to gain knowledge, so he had to find his own round-about ways of keeping track of their activities.

Now, it would be rather wasteful considering his limited budget to install a camera in all places above ground. It wasn’t like a troll going crazy in the middle of a desert would prove concerning. So, Foaly had calculated a probability model, based on known events in history to decide where he needed to put the most of his focus. Large cities received his mini cameras as a default, simply because even a single incident in one of those places could result in being discovered across the world. Other more remote places were based on his calculations. Places near chutes had a tendency to have more incidents than others, as did places near ancient oaks that fit the criteria for the Ritual. Others seemed a bit random on first glance, but if Foaly thought about the cities on his list, they did make sense. Certain attractions above ground were just too difficult for the People to resist, and cities holding them were high on the list for fairy sightings among the mud men.

Durvaine was one that had been recently added to Foaly’s list of cities to observe. It was pretty remote in terms of travelers, but the town itself had a few issues that had brought it to the centaur’s attention. After the last escape of the criminal Mulch Diggums, he had begun trying to track down places above ground that fit his usual tactics. Really, any place with unsolved robberies could have worked for an average investigator, but Foaly was beyond just that. He knew the clues to look for. First, there would be practically no signs of an actual break in. The homes would be perfectly intact, either due to the dwarf’s use of tunneling to get inside, or due to Mulch’s skill with molding his own hair to fit the locks he was picking. Next, there would be some ridiculous new person in town, with a name oddly similar to Mulch’s own. Maurice Digson fit the bill there, adding another check to Foaly’s list. However, when he notified Commander Root and had a team sent in, Mulch had turned tail and left. So, the angry commander had demanded that Foaly do something about it. Hence the cameras now placed in various places over town, focusing on the train station that just might give Mulch a chance to get out at a decent speed.

Foaly knew Mulch would probably be smarter than to try the train, though. If that dwarf knew anything, it was how to evade the LEP on a constant basis. He’d wait until some crisis underground was going on to keep LEP personnel busy, and then he’d make his move. That way, even if he was seen, it wasn’t like they’d be able to spare someone for one rogue dwarf above ground whose biggest crime was stealing from the LEP’s own officers. Then again, that was the very act that had gotten him caught in the first place.

While Foaly had been expecting to see Mulch somewhere, this wasn't what he expected at all. Watching mud men was a boring job, and he often ignored his surveillance to work on other inventions, but when he saw the wizards coming to town to look into the robberies, he grew interested. After all, it wasn’t as if Mulch had stopped because he was caught. He just relocated his home base. So, he had hoped that maybe one of them would actually be able to find some clue to lead him to Mulch instead. Once he overheard their own investigations and ideas, Foaly would be one button away from swooping in and taking the dwarf away before they even realized he was around.

When they vanished out of his range, Foaly had huffed for a while. Sure, he could try and put cameras out in the middle of the desert, but that would be such a waste of his technology. It wasn’t like anyone ever went out there, fairy or human. However, what he was now watching at the train station made him wish he’d figured out a way to do just that. Part of him wondered if he was imagining things, because there was no way that same group was returning so quickly, with an unconscious dwarf loped over the shoulders of one of the teen boys on their team.

Grabbing his communicator, Foaly immediately got Commander Root on the line. “What’s it this time, Foaly? I’m in the middle of an emergency here—“

“Really? Does it happen to relate to a potential exposure risk above ground?” Foaly’s quick retort was normal between them, but Root’s response was not.

“Actually, yes. One of my officers is missing in action.” That was enough to make Foaly hesitate, glancing at his own screens.

He was quiet for a moment, his tail swishing behind him. “Oh. Well, I guess this is a bad time. But, I suppose you should know you have a second exposure risk happening as well. As in, a second fairy that I’m watching right now getting dragged away by wizards.”

There was a pause from Root this time, likely as the commander took an inhalation of one of his favorite cigars. “And you’re only calling me about this now? Where the hell have you been? We’ve been on red alert for the last hour. Captain Short’s comms went down somewhere in southwestern Fiore while she was on her way to complete the Ritual. No video was recorded, no audio. All we know is that she took evasive action from an unknown attacker, likely human.”

Captain Short? Foaly’s heart nearly stopped. The female captain was one of his only friends, always there to joke about his inventions and tease him about his failed dates. She actually kept up with some of his humor, and for an LEP officer, she was pretty understanding. Most of them were too stuck up to see how important Foaly’s work really was to them. Holly respected him, and that was something rare to see in an officer these days, even the ones trying to do fancy maneuvers on the wings Foaly himself had designed.

Swallowing, Foaly wondered if he should just put this on hold himself. Really, out of all the fairy races, a dwarf was the least likely to be recognized. Sure, they were small and hairy, but mud men could be hairy too and some disorders caused short stature. “Captain Short? Uh…yeah. I’ll get right on that, search for any signs on the cams up above.” 

There was another pause. “Are…are you saying you’re not looking at Holly right now, Foaly? Give it to me straight and stop dodging around.”

“Not exactly. I’ve got eyes on Mulch Diggums…but with a missing LEP officer, he doesn’t exactly take high priority—“

“Diggums again? Blast that reprobate, I’ll have him in Howler’s Peak for this!” A dwarf in a high security goblin prison was never a good thing. Even Foaly shuddered to think of what would happen to Mulch in there. “So, as far as timing goes, he’s got it nailed. Seriously, even he knows better than this.”

“Well, in all fairness, I don’t think he went willingly.” Foaly watched as Mulch’s legs swung around over the pink haired mud man’s shoulders. “He’s unconscious right now. That mud boy better hope he doesn’t have gas in his system, because his rear end is pointing in a rather…ah…uncomfortable place.”

“Give me a location, and I’ll get on it as soon as possible. Then, give me everything you can find on Holly. Any recordings from her headset, any audio, any little details about what may have happened could be helpful.”

Going over to his computer, Foaly began typing away while watching the wizard team in the train station. “Okay…for Mulch…looks like they’re buying a train ticket. Heading from Durvaine to Magnolia, straight trip with one stop in Oshibana on the way. Likely, your best shot is to get them before they reach Oshibana, because from that point on, there’ll be too many mud men watching.” Another video showed up on a different screen, while Foaly frowned at what he was watching. Holly was flying, video feed good for a few minutes, then her helmet was taken off. She was at a tree, a good ritual sight, and then he saw her duck down. Something zoomed by, which made him pause and rewind, watching it in slow motion and zooming in on the spot where the object was seen.

“Oh no.” He breathed out. Unlike Mulch, this one showed clear signs of hostility. At least with the criminal, Foaly could believe he was unconscious because he was the criminal the wizards were after. With this, Holly had done nothing wrong. She was lucky she had ducked, but even then, her luck ran out. As she began to try and evade a second hypodermic dart, more came and eventually, she was hit. She fell unconscious, before someone picked up the helmet with a frown.

“Sir, I do not think I’d mess with something like that. Did you not tell me their technology could not be trusted?” Someone out of view spoke, with a deep voice.

A higher pitched one replied, this one falling into sight with a smile on his face. Blue eyes shone back at Foaly, with an odd intelligence in them for a boy so young. “Indeed, but it is only fair to give them a fighting chance. Now, just which one of these deactivates it…?” He began playing around with the helmet for a moment, before everything went black. That boy had been playing with him, taunting Foaly with his image. He scowled at the black screen, putting the picture up and running facial recognition through all of his data on mud men before. He had a large database, after all, with all of his research on the matter.

“And Holly? I don’t have time to sit around waiting all day, Centaur. If you can’t hurry up, maybe we’re paying you too much.”

There was a frown on his face at that. Why did Root always threaten his budget when he got in a bad mood? With a sigh, Foaly turned back towards him. “Right. Looks like she’s been taken by a mud boy even younger than those wizards who have Mulch. Far more serious than him too, since he seemed to have been waiting for her…and he knew how to deactivate my helmet.” Really, how had someone so young figured out his tech so quickly? Was there someone above ground that wasn’t relying solely on magic for their lives? He wanted to know, but he could hardly find anything on the kid.

After a moment, he finally had it. A file, one he had stolen from his hidden camera inside of Era a few years back. He had wanted to keep track of all human criminals, so he knew which faces were more dangerous to look for. While this face was a bit older, it was almost an identical match to the younger variation. After a little bit of research, he had his answer. “Alright, now I’ve got it. The kid’s name is Artemis Fowl II, and he’s bad news. He’s the son of a former member of Grimoire Heart, that’s one of the biggest and baddest dark guilds there was, when it still existed anyway.”

“Location?”

“Fowl Manor, pretty isolated place. Perfect if you want to set up a time stop and take care of this cleanly. However…if he wanted to taunt us with his face, I get the feeling we won’t find him there.” 

Root paused, as if waiting for more. “Are you saying some mud man has outsmarted you, Foaly? Because last I knew, humans were farther behind us in terms of technology than a troll covered in dwarf spit would be behind a sprite.” Considering how well dwarf spit could harden, the troll wouldn’t be able to move at all. 

Taking the hint, Foaly got up, his tail swishing around behind him. “Not at all…just that he isn’t someone to underestimate. I’m not kidding about his family…he’s got some dark ties, and if he has magic that was anything like his father’s former guild…we’re in for a tough fight. Do you even remember the last time the LEP went up against a wizard?”

It had been a near disaster. Foaly knew how difficult it was to stay ahead of them, and he was in charge of making it happen. Magic was always advancing, improving in ways that the People just couldn’t keep up with. Since their bodies never developed the containers to store ethernano, the People were losing their magical energy too fast for their power to last long. Without the Ritual, the loss would be too great for magic to even be usable by them. The Ritual forced large amounts of ethernano into their body at once, then time itself would slowly steal it away once more. 

With their lack of magic, going up against wizards was always interesting. Time stops gave them some advantage, allowing them to control an entire area for a given period of time. Then, actual fights were where they were lacking. Going into a magic fight with a gun wasn’t a smart idea unless you were a requip wizard. LEP agents trained hard to understand how to dodge and evade nearly all forms of magical attacks, in addition to learning how to fire their weapons rapidly enough to mimic the speed of a wizard. Foaly’s blasters had advanced over the years, now running on nuclear cores to make sure they never ran out of ammunition in a fight. It was required, to keep up with wizards.

Most of the time, a fight couldn’t be finished before the time stop ran out. These days, the LEP relied far too much on bio-bombs and mind-wipes for Foaly’s liking. Still, it was the world they lived in. “Don’t remind me.” Root sighed, and Foaly wondered if he would be involved for what was about to come. “Once you’ve got a solid location for my officer, get me on the line. I’ll have a team on standby, ready to deploy a time stop once you give me the go-ahead.”

Nodding, Foaly began to boot up the rest of his surveillance cameras as well. It had been a while since he watched so many places at once, but he needed to fan out to find Holly. “You got it. One LEP recon captain, coming up. Same old grab-blast-and-run tactic, I’m assuming?” When Root didn’t reply, Foaly smiled. “Holly would be happy to know you’re looking out so much for her. Don’t worry, Commander, I’ll make sure she’s found.”


	19. Invisible Enemies

The train ride back towards Magnolia was as expected. Natsu was on his stomach, sprawled out on the seat with his head in Lucy’s lap as he groaned from his motion sickness. Happy sat on the floor with Charle, watching a bit distractedly. Across from them, Erza sat next to the unconscious dwarf, with Mulch’s head leaning against her arm. On the other side of the dwarf, Wendy sat, while Gray had been forced to take another seat due to their lack of room.

“So…any ideas on how to prove he’s a fairy or not?” Wendy frowned, glancing towards him. “To be honest, I’m not even certain where to start.”

“Mavis did mention a book of some form. Perhaps he knows of it?” Erza pressed a hand to her chin, staring at Lucy across from her. “You’ve done the most reading of all of us. What do you think the case is?”

Holding her hands up, Lucy leaned back into her seat. “Hey, don’t ask me! It’s not like I read fairy lore all the time. It’s not actually the kind of story I like to focus on. Too many unbelievable things are exaggerated in those stories…” She bit her lip, realizing she was getting off topic. “Either way, I don’t think it would help unless I actually read their book. Since I haven’t even seen a book owned by a fairy, I highly doubt I’ve heard of the one Mavis mentioned.”

The train hit a bump on the track, rocking the cart slightly. Natsu groaned in response, turning his head. “Make it stop…” Lucy patted his head, smiling down at the dragon slayer. His built-up immunity to Wendy’s troia really was a bad thing at the moment, with how exhausted just being on a train made him look. 

“Then it is unlikely we have succeeded in our task. Perhaps he has some form of odd ability only a fairy could posses.” Erza frowned, while Wendy smiled and shrugged.

“I don’t know…he seemed pretty average to me. Well, other than the stealing, I guess.”

“Yeah, and that’s what I don’t get.” Lucy pulled out the job flier again, glancing at the description of the job. “It says here that the robber managed to somehow get in and out of a home without actually breaking a thing. The locks were all intact, doors weren’t broken down, windows were not shattered…really, nothing was broken at all. Even in homes that were completely locked down and shut tight, he managed to somehow get inside and take what he wanted without leaving a trace.”

“So…he has some kind of power that helps him steal?” Wendy frowned, glancing towards Charle. “That doesn’t really sound right for a fairy.”

“Indeed. Fairies are not meant to be thieves. Aren’t there even myths about them being unable to enter homes?” Charle glanced towards the others, while Lucy frowned and nodded.

“Yeah, that’s actually a pretty common story out there. Still, it doesn’t mean it has to be true, right?” She glanced at the others, before sighing and joining them in studying the face of the weird man. After taking him with them, they actually had tried looking for signs of him being something other than human. What they found was a bit odd, to be honest. First, his teeth really were unusual, looking like they could actually be lethal with their thickness and size. None of them looked like they were sharp, but they did look tough and had a yellowish-brown color to them that made Lucy want to avoid inspecting them for long. 

Weird teeth could have been attributed to some form of magical alteration to his appearance, though. His extra toes could also be considered normal, since Lucy had heard of a few rare genetic defects causing odd growths of that nature. What she couldn’t explain, however, was his hair. When she brushed up against it, it had almost felt wiry, rather than soft and pliable like normal hair. When she tried to actually inspect it, reaching with her hand to touch the hair in his beard, the strands had almost shied away from contact, moving away without her ever touching them. Something had been really weird about that, and after watching it, she decided it might be better to leave his hair alone.

The others had joined her in the investigation, but with nothing truly screaming fairy to any of them, they had decided to stick to their original plan of letting Mavis decide if he was a fairy or not. “Whatever he is, there is something odd about him. Part of me wonders if he simply lied about his lack of magic. Obviously, there is something unusual about his hair. He could posses a variant of the magic Flare utilized in the Grand Magic Games.” 

Thinking about that opponent made Lucy shudder, avoiding Erza’s gaze. “Yeah…that could be it.” 

Suddenly, the train seemed to lurch, making Lucy bend to keep herself in the seat. Her grip on Natsu’s shoulder tightened, while the dragon slayer’s eyes opened wider. He clutched a hand over his mouth, bending over the side of the seat with the sudden motion. Glancing out the window, Lucy was surprised to see they were slowing down. Clearly, they were no where near another train station yet. It was getting slightly greener, though, with a few trees scattered in the open landscape. Grass and weeds were growing in the area surrounding the track, though Lucy could still see patches of dirt scattered amongst the greenery.

After a moment, the train stopped entirely, and Lucy was frowning and glancing around the cabin. “That’s odd. We were not scheduled to stop until we reached Oshibana.”

Happy walked over to the window, glancing out with a frown. “Wow…guys, there’s a big tree on the track! It’s huge!”

“Great. Was there even a storm recently to knock it down?” Lucy sighed, shaking her head. Maybe the storm had just missed Durvaine when it passed through. It would explain why a tree was down here and not there.

Before she could think further on it, she yelped as Natsu grabbed her arm and yanked her down onto the seat. “Hey, watch what you’re—“ She broke off, her eyes widening as the window just next to them shattered. Natsu kept her pinned to the seat, pressing his body over hers as something zoomed above her, flying and imbedding itself into the wall on the opposite side of the train cart. Letting her head hang over the end of the seat, Lucy glanced at the wall behind her to see what it was. Swallowing, she saw a small dart stuck into the wall, and Natsu was glaring up at it as well.

“I thought I smelled something familiar. That thing smells like what Artemis shot at you.” Natsu scowled, keeping his body low. “And it smells like there’s a lot of it nearby.”

Moving down the hall, Gray stood outside of their seats with a frown. “A lot of what nearby?” He glanced at Natsu and Lucy, raising his eyebrows for a moment. “And what are you doing to Lucy?”

Heat rushed into Lucy’s cheeks, and she tried to push Natsu away. However, the dragon slayer refused to budge. “Someone’s after Lucy again. They’re using that weird non-magic stuff to knock us out, too.”

“It’s called a drug, and it isn’t all that weird. Before magic became so common, they were actually quite common for criminals trying to force someone into a state of unconsciousness.” Charle glanced towards them with a frown. “Still, it does not explain why someone would be using them now.”

Standing up, Erza stared out the window with a frown. “Odd. I do not see the shooter at all.”

“Attention passengers. There appears to be a fallen tree on the track. Do not be alarmed, we are working to remove the obstruction as quickly as possible. Our usual journey will be continued…” A voice began making an announcement, which Lucy quickly tuned out. She had already figured that much out, but it wasn’t her focus. Natsu stiffened again, and Lucy ducked her head as another shot came into the train cart. This one didn’t look nearly as friendly, either. Rather than a dart, this shot was a blast of pure energy. Gray jumped to the side when he saw it, barely dodging the blast. Unlike the dart, this shot actually burned a hole through the opposite wall when it missed them.

“What the hell? That shot came from thin air!” Gray glanced into the plains outside, his gaze scanning the area wildly.

Joining him, Lucy frowned in confusion. Meanwhile, Natsu snorted and glared at them. “What, are you blind now too, ice princess? There’s a ton of them…and they’ve got these weird things on their backs…” Natsu frowned, staring at the others.

“Natsu…I don’t see them either.” Lucy spoke, watching Natsu frown and tilt his head.

Across from her, Wendy’s eyes were wide and she was taking a few steps back. “But…I see them. They all have the same guns too…and it looks like they have wings.” Her gaze flickered towards Mulch, biting her lip. “Maybe…maybe he actually is a fairy. I think we’ve made the others mad by trying to take him with us.”

“Why is it that only you and Natsu can see them?” Gray frowned at them, while Erza placed a hand on her chin.

After a moment, she shook her head and requipped into her heaven’s wheel armor. “Now is not the time to investigate. First, we must face this enemy down and stop them from harming our comrades. Natsu, Wendy, you are in charge of directing our attacks. The rest of you, do your best and make sure we do not lose our prize!”

Nodding, Wendy stood taller and stayed by Erza’s side. “Alright. You’re looking at about four of them, flying about four feet above us to the left.”

“Too slow. I’ll simply eliminate them all at once.” With that, Erza began requipping a massive amount of swords behind her body. Natsu sat up, releasing Lucy as she did so. With flames dancing in his fists, he grinned and turned back towards them. When Erza unleashed her attack, swords went flying into thin air. Lucy expected them to have little effect, and what she saw only proved that. They arched in their flight as gravity began dragging them down to the ground, and after a moment, she watched them all plant themselves in the dirt below.

Rising, Natsu scowled. “You bastards want to play? Well, then I’m getting fired up.” He grinned, his fire growing larger in his hands. “I just got Lucy back from a crazy criminal, and I’m not about to let you hurt her again! Fire Dragon’s Roar!” With that, fire seemed to illuminate the air in front of them as well, and from where she sat, Lucy could feel the heat of his attack. 

This time, Lucy at least heard the effect. She heard someone let out a startled cry, making her realize they actually weren’t imagining things. Someone really was flying out there, attacking them from some unseen position. “No way…fairies are invisible? Since when?” 

The chaos had made them lose track of a rather important element, however. In the midst of the attack, their captive dwarf had the misfortune to wake up. His brown eyes flashed towards the invisible fairies outside trying to approach, and as Lucy noticed him moving on the seat, she began to bite her lip. Someone had to keep him in check, and right now, she was the only one doing nothing in the attack. So, she began pulling out her fleuve d’étoiles, watching as Mulch’s gaze flickered towards her. He froze, stiffening and holding his hands up in surrender. “Wait! I’ll help…I swear, I don’t want them to take me any more than you do.”

“I take it these are the fairies you’ve angered before?” Erza spoke with narrowed eyes, while Mulch nodded with a smile.

“Of course! See, I told you I was a fairy.” That didn’t seem to be helping their situation. More of the weird energy blasts came firing at them. One made Lucy shriek as it nearly blasted through her leg, making her jump to the side quickly. “Now, I heard one of you mentioning them being invisible. What kind of nonsense are you being taught these days, anyway? No one is invisible, that’s just not possible.”

“Then why are Natsu and Wendy the only ones that can see them?” Gray glared at Mulch, before grimacing and shoving his hands together. Another torrent of shots were coming towards them, and he seemed to be bracing himself. “Ice Make: Shield!” A solid shield of ice formed, taking the brunt of the blasts but ultimately shattering from the sheer number of attacks launched at it. Gray stumbled back as the ice broke, losing his balance with the loss of his creation.

Mulch seemed to glance at Natsu and Wendy, blinking in surprise. “Wait…you can see them? But that’s not possible either!”

“Didn’t you just say they weren’t invisible?” Happy frowned, touching his head. “I don’t get it…how can they be invisible and not invisible at the same time?”

After a moment, Mulch sighed and shook his head. “Well…that’s just the shield. Magic helps them vibrate at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, letting them vanish out of the visible spectrum.” Considering how the dwarf had been talking in the past, Lucy couldn’t help but stare at him with her jaw dropping. He wasn’t that smart, was he? He had acted like an ignorant idiot, to some degree, almost reminding her of Natsu in a way. “What? Just because I gave it up doesn’t mean I don’t know how it works. Now…do your friends have anything enhancing their senses then? Maybe some kind of magic that improves their eyesight or something?”

Flames shot out from Natsu’s fist as he lunged forward towards an unseen attacker. “Fire Dragon’s Iron Fist!” Lucy couldn’t help but feel like she was watching the strangest battle of her life. Natsu was punching thin air, and somehow connecting his hits against something. The next time Erza launched her blades, Lucy actually saw one get delayed from its original path too, and she saw a bit of blood drip from the sky with it. 

After a moment, Wendy began adding her own enchantments into the mix, enhancing the speed and strength of her allies. “That should help. Now…perhaps we can see them because we’re dragon slayers.”

“D-dragon slayers?” Mulch gulped, glancing between the two of them. “But they haven’t existed in nearly four centuries!”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Natsu frowned, attacking yet another invisible fairy. “Wendy and I have been around for at least a few years, not to mention Laxus and Cobra with their weird lacrima method of gaining dragon slaying magic.”

This time, Mulch didn’t seem so forthcoming with his information. Instead, he simply gazed at them with wide eyes for a moment, before shaking his head. “Huh. Well…I guess that would explain it. Dragons were one of the few races able to see through our shields, after all. A pity they were never able to master the skill themselves, though, despite being one of the most magical races of the People ever to exist.”

“Wait…are you saying dragons are a type of fairy?” Lucy watched as Mulch just shrugged, moving outside of the train. “That’s just…that’s insane!”

“True, but what else could they have been? Have you ever thought that maybe magical races other than humans considered themselves closer to us than you?” That made Lucy pause, frowning at him. Then, Mulch turned around, seeming to crouch over the dirt. “Either way, I’ve gotta give a gift to these guys here or you’re all screwed. Don’t bother thanking me for saving your skins, either.”

With that, Lucy almost cringed at the way, Mulch pulled at his mouth. His jaw looked unnatural with how far he managed to pull it down, like the joints had practically unhinged themselves. Then, with a sudden motion, Lucy saw a piece of cloth fall down from his backside, luckily not facing them. His head moved towards the ground, and Lucy stared and wondered how he was enjoying eating dirt. Then again, she had watched Natsu eat fire on a daily basis, so she supposed she had seen stranger things. What was more surprising, however, was the sight of him coming up shortly after, with a strained look on his face. “Alright…that should do it…” He began bending over, angling his body slightly and shaking his rear end. Then, in a sudden blast, Mulch went flying back towards the train. Behind him, Lucy could only watch in fascination as all the dirt and rock he had just eaten was expelled in an instant, fanning the invisible fairy army with his own digested tunneling waste.

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight, but Lucy did admit she was pleased with the result. The shots stopped almost immediately after, and Natsu’s shoulder slowly began to relax. “It…it looks like they’re leaving. Wow…I can’t believe you had the ability to do something so amazing!” Wendy smiled brightly at Mulch, her eyes wide. Lucy had another word in mind for his actions, but she was trying to be kind and not say it out loud. “Maybe you don’t have magic, but you surely do have some great gifts, Mr. Mulch!”

The dwarf actually blushed, turning his head away. “Aww, you’re too sweet. Now, if you wanted to give me a nice gold medal, that’d be even better.” Wendy blinked, smiling at him and clapping her hands together.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have one of those. But, I am thankful that you got those fairies to go away. Still…it looks like we’re going to be stuck here for a while.” Her gaze drifted towards the front of the cart, frowning. “They said a tree fell on the tracks, after all.”

“Probably so they could stop us before we got near the public again. Once we’ve reached Magnolia, you probably won’t see much of them. Probably.” Mulch seemed intent on stressing the fact that it wasn’t a guarantee that they’d avoid seeing these other fairies. However, Lucy wasn’t going to complain. Any chance of not being shot at again was one she’d take.

Natsu turned towards him with a frown, however. “Sounds great. But…what’s that weird stuff they keep attacking with anyway? I mean, at first they seemed to be trying to knock Lucy out with some kind of weird dart. Then, there were those weird machines letting them fly…and those weird guns and helmets too…are they magic or something?”

“What, the wings and Neutrino blasters?” Mulch shook his head, scratching his scalp. “Yeah, I guess I can see your confusion. But, why don’t we wait on that answer for now? I’m certain this Mavis you kept mentioning is going to want to hear all about it, after all. I’d rather save my breath if I’m just going to have to explain it all over again later.” With that, Natsu frowned, taking a seat again. However, Lucy couldn’t help but wonder the same thing. After all, she hadn’t sensed any kind of magical aura coming from those attacks. Whatever that energy was, it wasn’t magic, but it was definitely strong enough to combat with it on some level.


	20. Of Schemes and Family

Things had been going as planned for Artemis Fowl as of late. The timing of his decoding of the book had been rather excellent, lining up with the lunar cycle for the next full moon. After waiting a mere two days, he had a position and a stakeout ready and in place. With Butler’s requip magic, there wasn’t even a need to stock up on supplies to manage such an endeavor either. After telling his father he was going on a trip for his school, Artemis and Butler had taken off. Then, after a few long nights of watching the same tree for hours, they had something. 

Getting the mirrored lenses had been difficult, but it seemed as if he was quick enough for them to not be necessary. Butler fired off a few shots, and afterwords, the fairy was in their grasp. Still, he held on to the odd sunglasses, not willing to take any risks in this endeavor. Just because this fairy was low on magic did not mean she was not capable of using the mesmer described in the book. 

After capturing her came the next hurdle. He had to somehow hide her away in Fowl Manor without his father knowing. True, it was likely an endeavor he could share with the man, but this was his own private project. Artemis senior would likely frown upon what his son was doing, and attempt to intervene and free the fairy. He shared his mother’s odd fondness of animals, and Artemis saw no reason to it. Right now, stopping Zeref took priority above all else, so he needed this plan to work with no issues.

Luckily, Artemis did have his own workshop for projects and the like. His father did not often enter, enjoying giving his son a place where he could work in private and focus on his thoughts. Out of all the places in Fowl Manor, it was likely the only room that would not be disturbed. Right now, he did have a few unfinished ideas inside, mostly spells to further enhance the airship he had designed and learned to fly. His goal was to make it more efficient and let it run on even less magical power than it took currently, but it was still a work in progress. So, there would be little harm in letting the fairy stay there. The issue was simply getting her to the room.

He knew he needed to bring the fairy to Fairy Tail as per his agreement, but he didn't quite have the time for that trip yet. Soon, he would make good on his word, but first he had to find out what she knew. If she had any information on Ankhseram, or on this curse, he needed to know so he could begin devising a way to work against it. Once again, stopping Zeref too priority over any other project he might have to work on. Hopefully, the black wizard would not think he was breaking his promise by doing this. Then again, it wasn’t like Zeref was going to learn that the fairy was here either, not if things went according to plan.

This was part of why Artemis delayed his return trip home. Based on the week he had been near his father, Artemis had begun to see a pattern in Artemis senior’s daily activities. Timing his trip out correctly, Artemis could return while his father was near the shed, where Zeref was. Three times a day, his father left to provide the black wizard with some form of a meal, though Artemis wondered what purpose it served. It wasn’t as if the wizard could starve to death, after all, but he supposed it was normal to attempt to feed any living prisoner.

Glancing at his watch, Artemis smiled. It was 12:15, the exact time his father left with the meal he had begun preparing fifteen minutes prior. Lunch was always a simple meal for the black wizard, usually consisting of some form of sandwich with fruits and vegetables. As Artemis stood off to the side of the building, he watched his father exit, rounding the grounds and moving towards the shed. Behind Artemis, Butler carried the unconscious fairy over his shoulder, her weight almost nothing compared to him. With a nod, Artemis began moving forward with Butler following after. His father’s gaze was locked on the shed, not on the house behind him. Hopefully, he could sneak in unnoticed and approach his father upon the man’s return.

Artemis opened the door, glancing towards his father again as Butler ducked inside. Really, his father was oblivious to the world around him now. For a man who had once been so observant, it disappointed Artemis to see how easy it was to sneak around behind his back. However, an odd pang surged through him at the thought. Lying to his family was not a good habit to be getting into. It would not bode well for his mental health.

Along with the fairy, Butler was carrying some of the odd devices the girl had brought with her. Artemis himself had taken the helmet, but the wings remained in his bodyguard’s care. Really, they were just as marvelous as the book made him to believe. Non-magical devices were performing practically magical feats. Once the fairy was in her room, he had every intention of dissecting the helmet and determining exactly how such a thing was possible. What energy source did it use? Heat was a possibility, but it didn’t seem likely to transfer into such a device easily. Plus, the helmet itself was not warm. Perhaps light? Then again, considering the People lived underground, it would be rather tedious to recharge if that were the case. 

Spinning the device around in his hands, Artemis couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps he had made a mistake, letting his face be seen, but it seemed rather uncooperative of him to not give them some sort of chance. Since he was looking for their aid, after all, he should attempt to form some type of non-hostile relationship. Beginning something of that nature with a kidnapping would likely be a challenge, though. However, it wasn’t as if he had other methods of speaking with their kind and gaining knowledge of what they were capable of. With how secretive they were, a fairy wouldn’t simply reveal all of their secrets to him. 

Walking upstairs, Artemis moved quickly until he arrived at the door to his workshop. Inside, everything was neat and orderly. One desk had papers stacked on top, along with his pens and pencils for drafting out his ideas. Another had parts and tools he used to assemble them, if they were something to be made. A few of his ideas were limited to magic circles, which he then had Butler or his father test to see if he had achieved the proper goal. 

Butler set her down on the bed Artemis had placed inside the room a few days ago. At least that one had been simple enough to write off to his father. With how much time Artemis spent in this room, his father had even joked that he was finally realizing the benefits of simply sleeping there rather than in his own room. So, with the fairy resting there, Artemis began to get to work on dissecting the helmet. Butler placed the wings down on the ground next to the table, and moved to silently observe his charge’s work.

Pulling over his tool box, Artemis first began pulling out a screwdriver to attempt to pull out the odd bolts keeping the helmet together. However, it quickly became obvious that it would not be so simple. The head of his tools did not fit the odd grooves shaped on the screws of the fairy device. Still, he was not going to give up so easily. Trying with a few different tools, Artemis eventually discovered that they happened to be magnetic in some form. The screws would turn when exposed to the negative or positive pole of a simple magnet. Likely, the true tool to unravel this utilized that to its advantage, but Artemis was forced to use cruder methods to pull it apart. Chasing around the screws with remedial magnets took more time than expected, but ultimately produced the results he was looking for.

His blue eyes scanned the inner devices with an odd fascination. Really, it looked more bizarre than anything he had thought of before. At least magic circles had some form of order, with each piece playing a known role in the art. This looked like a complex mess, speaking of a language completely foreign to mankind. Wires and odd box-shaped devices were molded into the inner workings of the helmet. 

When he had looked at it earlier, he had only been concerned with finding the method of switching it off. The language of the device was not his own, but he did have the luck of brining the translator with him, which allowed him to at least turn the device off for this. Now, he needed to figure out which piece did what, and how it operated. If someone could create such a device for humans, it would set them years ahead of their current technology, possibly decades or more even. 

The Book had not described much on technology, Artemis had to admit. It gave procedures that were used in case of emergency situations, but this was beyond just that. He had seen that they had methods of surveillance, much like communication lacrima, that were likely high-tech variations of cameras that could record full scenes rather than a simple image frozen in time. Then, there were mentions of bio-bombs, an actual explosive device that emitted a gas-like element known as solinium that would kill all living things in the vicinity. Part of Artemis wondered if that was based on Zeref’s curse or not, but he supposed he would learn that answer soon enough.

Pulling out a strand of wires, Artemis ran his fingers along them, trailing them to one of the pieces they were attached to. It seemed like they directed something between pieces of the machine, and based on their size and inner workings, he assumed one of them was connected to the power source. It seemed to be an efficient way of transporting it, after all, and they were connected to the few objects inside that did not appear to be completely foreign to him. While it was smaller than expected, he could see a black rectangular form angled towards the visor of the helmet. This must be the camera, which was in turn connected to more of the wires and lined within the inner workings of the headgear. Furthermore, he saw an object that was spherical in nature, small and slightly rough to the touch when he attempted to see what they were. Based on how the helmet seemed to be attempting to allow someone else to view what the user was doing, Artemis assumed it was some form of microphone designed to pick up noises nearby.

“Simply amazing. I do not think humans have seen the likes of this in our entire existence. The People truly are capable of great things.” Leaning back in his chair, Artemis smiled. Butler was still watching him, but he did not care. “See this Butler? I do believe this small box here powers everything inside. While I cannot devise what it is made of quite yet, the wiring seems to be trailing back to this as a central point, and with their connections inside, they must be providing the power.” Butler leaned forward, nodding as if he understood every deduction Artemis was making. “It is even smaller than a lacrima…yet it can power so many devices we require magic to utilize. Not to mention there are devices in here that I cannot even determine the purpose of.”

That seemed to make Butler raise his eyebrows. “Really? Something the great Artemis Fowl does not understand?” There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

Artemis reached inside, carefully pulling out a flat, rectangular object. It was smaller than his fingernail, and unlike the rest of the objects, it was not connected to any of the wiring. “This right here…it is not connected to the power source, indicating it powers itself, or gains power from a remote source in some method.” Butler nodded, frowning at it. “It exists on the interior, indicating it was placed for function rather than appearance, yet the overall design seems to have accomplished its goal of remotely observing the events recorded by the camera and microphone inside. Granted, there are a few other devices interwoven within the actual visor that I have yet to pull apart…but it seems to be separate from those as well.”

Taking it into his own grip, Butler frowned. “You say it is meant to observe someone, correct?” Artemis nodded, watching his bodyguard return the piece back to his charge. “Odd. If all they have is visual and audio, it does them little good.” 

“What do you mean? Surely, simple surveillance requires little else.”

“Ah, but what if one wishes to act on such information?”

That made Artemis pause, glancing at the tiny device implanted inside. It seemed impossible, but fairies did have technology that went beyond some capabilities of magic. “A locator of some kind, then? Perhaps it detects the location of the individual by sensing for some type of landmark in the surroundings…” He trailed off, his brow furrowing as he tried to work out just how such a device would work. Then, he shook his head and sighed. “Regardless, I do not have tools capable of dissecting this piece. For now, we will work with the assumption that it does indeed track location.”

“Sir, if it is separate from the power source—“

Artemis was already nodding, picking up the device and placing it in his pocket. “Yes, I am aware. Likely, the fairies are still capable of tracking us at the moment. Quite clever, I did not expect them to have such an advantage.” Walking out of the room, Artemis decided to return to his project after a brief break. They were required to keep the mind from growing overly exhausted and missing details. “We will need to relocate the device…but the question is where.”

“I suppose that would depend on what you expect them to do once they find you.” Frowning, Artemis simply continued moving. He did not wish to anger the People, but it was likely he had already done so by taking that fairy in his workshop. True, he did have plans for amending their relationship in the future, but that did not mean they would act kindly towards him now. “Sir?”

Just as he was about to reply with directions on where to move the locator, Artemis practically walked into his father. He stopped just short of the taller man, blinking in surprise. Was he heading towards the surveillance room, perhaps? It was just a few doors down from his workshop. “Ah, Artemis. I had been hoping to see you.” There was a strained smile on his face. “I just spoke with your mother. She’s….still not coping well, I believe.”

He could have said as much himself. Sleep aids had already begun to lose their effect on her. She was often awake and rambling about some sort of vision she was having, seeing things that weren’t real and confusing reality for little but a dream. “I have looked into it. Currently, I am searching for a suitable psychologist to diagnose and treat her mental illness.”

The young genius had actually done so a while ago, but refrained from making contact until his father was found. The likelihood of the government getting involved was too high, risking not only moving him to live with far more overbearing and less understanding guardians, but also losing the funds he required to rescue his father and pay for the bills to treat his mother. “I’m certain you have.” Artemis senior looked tired, running a hand through his hair. “However…those methods aren’t always completely effective, are they?”

“That would depend upon her disorder.” He paused for a moment, avoiding his father’s gaze. “In some cases, it can take years to fully treat…and then there is also a risk of relapse.”

“I’ve done my own research since I returned as well, Arty.” Glancing towards his father, Artemis frowned.

“I see. I take it someone is coming to begin an examination soon?”

Shaking his head, Artemis senior seemed to hesitate. “Actually…it was your own antics that inspired me. You see…I had wondered if the mind could be healed, through magic.” That made Artemis stiffen slightly. Did he have a similar idea to his own? Artemis had kept all his research hidden well enough, so it was unlikely his father had found it. “After studying a few records of legal guilds, I found something rather interesting. That group that came with me, the young girl…she has records of utilizing some form of healing magic.”

Artemis recalled the blue haired girl, practically his own age with far more nervousness than any of the others. She hadn’t seemed to be exceptional in any way, but perhaps she simply lacked the confidence to express her true intelligence. “Ah. However, I do not believe we parted on the best of terms. Recall, I did kidnap a member of their team. While I may have returned her, quite a few of them still seemed rather upset with me, despite nothing truly unsettling occurring as a result.”

“And that is why you are coming with me, to Fairy Tail.” That nearly broke Artemis’ calm facade. He couldn’t leave, not with that fairy in the house. “You are going to apologize to those wizards, and if needed, beg them to help your mother. I will not stand by and let her deteriorate further, not when I know there is a possible method of helping her.”

Trying to cling to something, Artemis kept his gaze on the ground. “But it is merely a chance, not definite. Studies have proven the methodology of psychologists, showing that it is possible to reverse mental illnesses through various conditioning methods and consultations focusing on recalling certain events.” Talking his father out of an immediate recovery would not be easy.

“You sound as if you don’t wish for her to be well.” Artemis senior frowned, while Artemis tried to stay motionless. “Arty, this will be a far more efficient method if it succeeds. And if it does not, what is the harm?”

Closing his eyes, Artemis sighed. “I…I do wish for Mother to be well. It is simply that…I worry over these wizards attempting for revenge, by targeting those close to me as I did to them.” That sounded like firm logic, but his father simply smiled and touched his shoulder gently.

“And that is why you shall apologize and explain things to them.” His father sighed, squeezing Artemis’ shoulder. “You are a bright boy, Arty. Explain it to them properly, and they will forgive anything. The mind of a desperate child, wishing only to save his parents…well, that could make one do quite a few terrible things, wouldn’t you agree?”

Nodding, Artemis realized there was no way to talk his father out of this endeavor. Hopefully, the fairy was awake then. At least with that, he’d be able to force her to stay in the room using their own rules over magic. “Very well. Give me a moment to gather my things first. I assume we will be remaining near the guild for a few days?”

“Expect this trip to last about a week. Feel free to have Butler assist in packing, I do wish to leave as soon as possible.” With that, Artemis nodded, moving towards his workshop with Butler following after. This was going to be interesting, seeing those wizards again. For now, he just had to hope that the fairy could fend for herself to some degree. 

Glancing towards Butler, Artemis hesitated. Knowing his father was still within earshot, Artemis kept his words guarded, with his eyes locked on the workshop. “Butler, I do plan on packing up my most recent project for the moment. Would you mind making a snack while I work on gathering my things?” The bodyguard nodded, keeping his gaze on the door.

“Of course, sir. I shall bring it to your workshop?” Nodding, Artemis smiled.

“Yes, that would do quite well. Please make sure there is enough. Oddly, I am finding myself quite hungry at the moment.” That made Butler nod, moving off in the opposite direction as Artemis returned to his workshop. Once inside, he placed his mirrored sunglasses back on, just as a precaution. Grabbing the helmet, Artemis decided he truly would actually bring this piece with him. However, as he lifted it, the girl lying in the bed began to stir. Her hazel eyes blearily opened, and when she glanced up, she froze, her gaze locked on Artemis just as Butler returned to the room.


	21. Taken for an Alliance

For a moment, the last thing Holly remembered was flying over Fiore, enjoying the feeling of being in the air as she went to refill her magic per orders of Commander Root. As a result, when she woke up, she had actually been smiling pleasantly, like nothing was wrong. However, as she blinked her eyes open, that smile faded at the sight of unfamiliar surroundings. Had she fallen asleep in Haven somewhere, or at the LEP headquarters after returning? A frown formed on her face, until she froze, her gaze settling on some mud boy in the room. Seeing his face, it suddenly came back to her. He had been there, waiting for her by the tree. As the door opened and another mud man entered, Holly realized she remembered this one as well. He was huge, even for a mud man, and as she gazed at them she felt her heart rate increase. Root was going to kill her for this. After the Hamburg thing, she had been trying to be on her best behavior. Then, she botched up her last recon because she was low on magic and couldn’t shield. Now, she was in the hands of actual mud men. To put it simply, her job was gone when this was done with.

“Ah, she’s awake. Butler, please set the plate down on the desk behind me.” The child spoke, and Holly narrowed her eyes. The large one obeyed his commands, making her wonder who had put the smaller one in charge. It made much more sense for the older of the two to lead this crazy expedition, but that was not the case. “Now, Holly Short, correct?”

Wait, he knew her name? Holly sat upright, glaring at him in silence. The gift of tongues let her understand his language, and probably would have let her reply, but he wasn’t worth the effort yet. When she sat in silence, the boy sighed, clasping his hands together and leaning forward in his seat. “Ah, still angry for how you arrived? I do apologize for our actions, however, they were a necessary evil. It isn’t as if you would have come with me willingly, after all.” This time, Holly couldn’t repress a snort as she rolled her eyes at the boy. “You see, I had hoped to form an allegiance of sorts with your people. There is a threat growing that needs to be stopped, and the current knowledge of humanity fails to properly address the situation.”

This time, Holly decided silence wasn’t the best choice. If he knew her name, either she had somehow begun talking in her sleep, or he somehow knew how to read her name tag. Either scenario wasn’t particularly pleasant to imagine, nor was a situation in which she was forced to actually work with the kid who just kidnapped her. “Yeah, like that’ll ever happen. Mud men get into wars all the time. People die. That’s life, so you might as well just deal with it.”

There was a frown on his face as he studied her for a moment. “True, and if this had been a usual sort of war, I would not have sought you out. I do have better things to do with my time other than play with fairies.” 

Crossing her arms over her chest, Holly glared at him. “And you thought kidnapping me was the way to get our help?” She was trying to hide her alarm at how much he knew. This kid had somehow figured out how to read gnomish, and about the existence of their race. The more he talked, the more information she got out of him. Hopefully, she’d find his source soon enough and stop this disaster in the making.

Inclining his head, the kid did at least stop making eye contact. He looked mildly concerned, in fact, though the same calmness remained. “Perhaps not, but as I stated before, would you have come willingly had I simply asked for help?”

Pressing a hand to her head, Holly leaned forward. This kid had actually thought it through, she realized. The People wanted nothing to do with humans. That was why they lived underground, rather than on the surface like they had centuries ago. Humans were too violent and greedy, destroying nature for their own comfort. Some had even tried to abuse the People, though it became quite clear that humans were never meant to use the same magic as fairies. “Fair point.” She continued keeping her gaze locked on him. “So, what are you planning on next, mud boy? It’s not like you’re going to get on friendly terms starting out like this.”

In his grip, Holly could see her helmet. If she could just distract him enough to get that, she could get word underground about what was going on. The communicator inside should be able to contact Root or Foaly, at the very least. “A minor delay, I’m afraid. I did not intend to utilize this against you, but I believe I have no other choice.” Whatever was coming, Holly knew it was no good. Maybe she was low on magic, but she did still have enough in her system to use some kind of mesmer to stop whatever the kid had planned.

Meeting his gaze, Holly interrupted before he could speak. Her voice was thick and layered with magic, attempting to impart her will on him. “You will not use anything against me. In fact, you’re going to give me that helmet like a good boy.”

The boy seemed to smile slightly at her words, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. She hadn’t taken the time to wonder why he was wearing them inside, but in retrospect, she probably should have. “I think not. However, you will be remaining in this room, Holly Short. You will not leave until I return and give you orders otherwise.” He couldn’t be serious. Did this mud boy realize what he was doing? Fairies were cursed, forced to follow a set of rules created in ancient history back when they had thought it was possible to have peaceful relations with humans. Some old king thought it was a good idea to tie their magic to an old binding spell, forcing them to follow certain protocols if they wished to keep their power. One of which was to not enter a human dwelling without permission. Another of these rules forced a fairy to follow any commands given from the owners of the dwelling once inside.

“Artemis, your father will be getting concerned soon.” The large man spoke, finally giving Holly at least some name for the child. Still, it was a name she would despise, one she refused to even use for the boy that was putting her through this.

Nodding, Artemis returned his gaze to Holly. “I am aware, but we must show some civility towards our guest. As I stated before, I do desire some form of alliance with her kind.”

“And that’s something you’re never going to get, mud boy.” Grinning at him, she decided to try for a bit of a bluff. “Honestly, do you really expect me to just stay in this room because you told me to? You’re dumber than you look.”

“If you wish to retain your magic, then I expect you will. Based on the fact that you had been attempting to perform the Ritual when I obtained you, I suspect you are rather fond of such a power.” That made Holly stiffen. This was even worse than she thought. At first, she could believe it was some small mistake that got the kid believing in fairies. Now, he was spitting out sacred details about their existence that were well guarded, impossible to know without insider information. “Now, I did have Butler obtain some sustenance for your stay. Granted, I did not have the time to inquire about your preferences, but it should suffice to keep you in good health until I return.”

“Wait…you were serious about leaving me here? What about needing our help? Aren’t you going to spout off all the details of this impending disaster you’re so worried about?” Holly needed to keep him here. Once he left with her helmet, she truly would be trapped. After all, the tracking system was inside that helmet, not on her suit. In fact, even the wings didn’t have the same system, though Foaly had designed them to be capable of remote self-destruction should they get into the hands of mud men. She was surprised they were still intact as a result.

The boy sighed, looking tired. “It was an unexpected trip, Captain.” That confirmed that he had likely been reading her name tag. Not only did it have her name, but it gave her position amongst the LEP too. “Worry not, it should not last for more than a week. As far as the dilemma I am seeking aid in handling, we unfortunately do not have enough time to cover the details. I assure you, all will be explained upon my return, Captain Short.”

This boy was aggravating, refusing to listen and not even beginning to understand what he was going up against. “Well, it just might be too late by then, mud boy. The People won’t just sit by and let you keep me here forever. They’ll find you, and when they do, you’ll be sorry.”

Reaching into his pocket, Artemis held up an object that made Holly’s blood drain from her face. She felt cold, staring at the tracker in his hand that had certainly been inside of her helmet. “Oh yes, I’m certain they will. Quite a remarkable device, both the helmet and this right here. They will find me, Captain Short, and when they do, I’ll be far away from this place, where they’ll be lost as to your current situation.”

Wasn’t he just preaching about being friendly? Holly glared at him, standing up and moving to block his path to the exit of the room. “And if you know so much, surely you know what they’ll do when they find you?”

“Are you referring to the time stop?” After already revealing how much he knew, Holly had given up on being surprised at this point. “I do have a few theories about that particular piece of technology. Every strategy has a flaw, Captain Short, and if it exists, I will be the one to exploit it.”

Giving up on subtlety, Holly glared up into his covered eyes. “And how do you even know all of this, mud boy? I hate to break it to you, but it’s not like we go around broadcasting our secrets to the world.”

“That is rather simple, my dear Captain.” The term grated on her nerves, nearly making her interrupt and snap at him calling her his dear anything. “I read a book.”

For a moment, Holly’s glare transformed into a frown of pure confusion. Then, what he was implying suddenly clicked in her mind. Her eyes widened and she let out a startled gasp, watching as Artemis’ smile widened, flashing a set of white teeth. “That’s…you couldn’t have found…”

“Oh, but I did. And I assure you, it was a fascinating read. Tell me, do you truly have a weapon that kills all living things in a specific radius? It is rather impressive that it damages nothing in the vicinity as well.” Holly was shaking her head, taking a step back as he continued on. “Not to mention the curious nature of your magic. Rather than possessing an organ to compile ethernano into a specific location, storing it until it is expelled in the form of magic, it simply runs in your blood. Ethernano absorbed directly into your veins provides much power, but it depletes far quicker than it can be replenished through normal means. Thus, the Ritual, forcing energy into the body by providing payment to the Earth for such a gift. Tell me, how does planting an acorn create such a vast amount of ethernano in the first place?”

Swallowing, Holly realized this was past a disaster. It was worse than Hamburg, worse than anything the People had seen before. “You…you couldn’t have possibly done all this research for nothing but solving a small problem.” Getting his hands on the book alone would have been a daunting task. From there, he would have had to invested the time to figure out a way to read gnomish, and then determine where to look to find a fairy. “What kind of a threat would even make you go to such lengths? Or does it just not exist? You’re taking me to abuse my power for yourself. Of course, mud boy reads the book on our magic, hears about healing magic that hasn’t been forgotten, and thinks he can get a free job if he just takes a fairy for himself.”

“While I had intended to ask for some assistance in a matter of that nature, it wasn’t entirely the reason I sought your kind out.” Artemis frowned, glancing towards Butler. The large man was frowning, staring down at the boy. After a moment, the bodyguard turned towards her, giving her a small smile.

“I do apologize for his vagueness, Miss. Artemis always knows when it is best to reveal details, but I can assure you, he means you no harm.” Staring at him and hearing a man like him claim to mean her no harm didn’t exactly reassure her. He looked like he could just squash her like a bug, though she knew her training would prevent such a fate.

Seeing the way her eyes narrowed, Butler sighed and shook his head. “Artemis, I do not think you are winning her over very well. And I do not think I will be able to aid any further.”

Glancing at Butler, Artemis slowly began to nod. “Right. I suppose I should have expected as much, given the normal reaction to someone like you.” With a sigh, Artemis glanced towards Holly. “Would it satisfy you for now to know the bare minimum of why I wish for your aid? I do not wish to part too badly with you. As I have repeatedly stated, I do intend to become an ally to the People, not an enemy.”

Staring at him, Holly debated. Maybe she could find something in this room to get word to Foaly about her situation while he was gone. It sure seemed to have enough tools to manage it, even if it was a human home devoid of the technology she grew up around. Knowing what this man was after would at least give them some kind of warning as to what Artemis would be coming after the next time. “Alright, but I’m not making any promises. We aren’t friends, mud boy, and we certainly aren’t going to be allies at this rate.”

Nodding, Artemis handed the helmet towards Butler. “I appreciate the gesture, Captain. Butler, would you mind storing that for our trip? It would not bode well for others to see exactly what we have discovered.” The large man nodded, and Holly felt a slight pang as the man proved to be a wizard, activating his requip magic and storing it in a spacial realm. “Now, as far as what we are dealing with…in vague terms, a man has threatened to destroy the entire world.” 

Holly nearly smacked the boy, seeing his words as a joke. Then, she noticed the grave look in his gaze, making her bite her tongue. People made threats all the time. This shouldn’t really be bothersome, not with how impossible it was for someone to make good on a promise like that. “I know what you are assuming, Captain Short. Such a thing should be impossible, and under normal circumstances, I would have ignored such a claim myself. However…this man is no ordinary wizard. Unlike others, I believe he is serious in his claim. Not only that, but I also believe he is capable of doing exactly that, if he so chooses.”

This time, Holly rolled her eyes and let out a slight chuckle. “Then you’re gullible, mud boy. People can’t kill the world, no matter how powerful they are. Do you think we would have just hid away if we thought humans would completely destroy everything? Granted, you do enough damage as it is, but there are at least some places untouched by your filth, some places you can’t even get close enough to to harm.”

“This man possesses a magical equivalent to your bio-bomb, Captain.” That made her freeze, her eyes growing wide. Death magic had not existed in nearly a thousand years. The only cases heard of since then were rumors, and it only came up sporadically, never on a large scale like Artemis was suggesting. “A type of black magic that kills all it touches, and I have yet to see anything powerful enough to counter it.”

An odd hunch settled inside of her, based on one of Foaly’s paranoid theories. He always ranted to her about things he believed to be true, but she had rolled her eyes and thought he was wrong in this case. It just wasn’t possible for it to come back, not after all these years. “And just who is this wizard? Because I’d sooner believe a mud man was keeping a troll as a pet than I would believe that someone had death magic like that.”

“Perhaps you’ve heard of him, Captain. He is rather infamous amongst my kind, after all.” That only added to her sinking feeling. “The legendary Black Wizard Zeref, assumed to have been dead four hundred years ago, still lives. I have spoken with him personally, and he has told me that he has every intention of ‘rejecting this world’. I think his words truly don’t have many variations on interpretation.”

Closing her eyes, Holly nodded. Moving back to the bed, she resigned herself to staying put. “I see. Well, thank you for the information. Enjoy your trip, mud boy. I only wish I was going along to see the look on your face when you realize how hopeless your efforts really are.” Artemis only nodded, walking out of the room and leaving her alone. 

However, Holly had meant her words in more ways than one. Foaly had predicted this would happen, that Zeref had actually been the first to discover a method of resurrection the People hadn’t been able to keep tabs on. That school of his forced him to hide it, after all, so even the centaur’s surveillance hadn’t been enough. Hearing that he was still alive after four hundred years, rather than dead like human history claimed, only confirmed his theory. Zeref knew how to bring the dead back to life, and now, a resurgence of the Black Curse was due. Holly only hoped it hadn’t spread yet, because even the People had failed to find a way to stop the curse in its tracks and return the victims back to normal.


	22. Unexpected Visitor

When Lucy and her team returned to the guild, there were a few things she was expecting. It would be emptier than usual due to the job everyone was on, and that was the case. Most of the more prominent members were absent from inside, though it looked like Nab remained behind, along with Reedus and Romeo. Mavis seemed to have taken Mira’s spot, working behind the counter of the bar with a smile on her face. Something just seemed weird about the sight, though. Mavis looked like a thirteen year old girl, at the oldest. Seeing her serve alcohol just didn’t seem right.

The next thing she expected was for the few lingering members to be loud and rowdy. While that technically wasn’t the case considering who was here, it was still not too surprising to see. However, the one thing she wasn’t expecting to see was a non-member inside, sitting near the bar and dressed in a formal business suit. Seeing the back of the young boy, Lucy began to scowl, already recognizing that raven-black hair and the monstrous man by his side. Next to her, Natsu stopped walking, crossing his arms over his chest with a glare of his own. “Wait. It smells like that Fowl kid.”

Nodding, Lucy pointed towards the bar. “Looks like him too.”

“What is he doing here?” Wendy frowned, glancing at the other members of the team.

“Maybe he came for Lucy again.” Happy spoke, before grinning and flying high above her head. “He liiikes you!”

“No way!” Lucy snapped back harsher than she meant to, her voice loud enough to get Artemis’ attention. Biting back her lip, she turned to see him gazing at her team with a slight smile. He inclined his head slightly as a greeting, straightening his sleeves as he moved to stand. “Now look what you did? He’s coming over here.”

“Chill, Lucy. We’re at the guild hall. He’d be stupid to try and pull any stunts in here.” Gray watched him approach, his eyes wary despite his words. Still, out of their team, he did seem to be the most relaxed. Erza always looked tense and ready for a fight, Natsu looked like he was ready to grab Lucy and run, and Wendy just stood behind them all, nervously playing with her hands in front of her. Next to Wendy, Mulch stood silently, gazing at Artemis with an oddly wary expression for someone who had never met the kid.

When Artemis stood in front of them, the boy held out his hand towards Lucy. “Good afternoon, Miss Heartfilia. I was waiting for you to return.” Eyeing his hand, Lucy didn’t reach to take it. After a moment, Artemis let it fall to his side. Studying their group, Artemis gazed over them, before his blue eyes finally settled on Mulch. He blinked for a moment, before smiling and turning back towards Lucy. “Interesting company. Is this a new addition to your team?”

“No. He is actually the man we were sent to arrest in Durvaine on our last job.” Erza replied for her, narrowing her eyes. “And what of you? I cannot imagine a boy such as you simply stopping by the guild for a visit. If you have business with the guild, you are welcome to remain, but otherwise, I suggest leaving. Perhaps you did not harm her, but we still have not forgiven you for what you did to Lucy.”

“And I still haven’t gotten the chance to burn that smirk off your face.” Natsu grinned at Artemis, while the young boy paled at his words.

Taking a step back, Artemis held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. Behind him, Butler rose and moved to stand closer, his wary eyes locking on Natsu after his words. “I don’t wish to fight you, but if you threaten Master Artemis, I will have no choice.” Natsu seemed to grin at that, but Lucy grabbed his arm and shook her head.

“Not now, Natsu. Erza is right. Artemis came for something, and I think the least we can do is hear him out.” Considering the fact that the boy had direct contact with Zeref, Lucy was actually curious to hear about what Artemis had to say. Did the Black Wizard escape? Did he have more news on END, and on why Zeref was obsessed with Natsu?

Smiling, Artemis dropped his hands and nodded. “Such a kind woman, Miss Heartfilia. Out of all the wizards here, you were not the one I expected to play the role of my advocate.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lucy frowned at him. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not forgiving you. I just thought you might actually have something important to say, like news on what the heck is going on with Zeref.”

“Him? I suppose little has changed, though I did gain a few small details from him about his magic. Trivial things, rather unimportant over all.” Artemis glanced around, frowning. “Speaking of which…to gain that knowledge I did make an agreement with him. So I can properly fulfill it in the future, would you mind introducing me to Mavis? Or showing me where I can find her? Zeref did make it sound as if she had passed away, yet he claimed I’d find her here.”

Behind the counter, Mavis seemed to have overheard. Her body froze, her eyes locking on the young boy. “Zeref?” Without the guild mark, her words went unheard by the one she was speaking to. Instead, Mavis glanced towards Lucy, moving closer to join the conversation as much as she could. “Find out what he knows. If…if he’s seen Zeref, this might mean the stop of our mission to answer our guild’s founding question.”

Glancing at Mavis with a frown, Gray shifted his weight to his other foot. “So, Zeref knows about Mavis, huh?” He tried to keep it vague, but Natsu was staring at Mavis with wide eyes.

“Wait, what do you mean stop the mission? How can you stop it when we think we’ve already won?” Behind him, Mulch seemed to frown.

“Eh? You talking to someone, dragon boy? I don’t see a thing.” Mulch frowned, turning towards Lucy. “Does he often do this? Go on tangents and the like? Because it could be a sign of mental instability. Just saying.”

Artemis watched the various responses to Mavis’ request, all with a very small frown on his face. He glanced towards Butler for a moment, watching as the bodyguard merely shrugged in response. “Ah…yes, Zeref does appear to know Mavis.” He seemed to be choosing to respond to Gray first. “He spoke of her vaguely…simply due to a rather unusual project I’ve begun. As for Natsu…I can’t recall mentioning anything about stopping a mission of yours, and if I am interrupting, I can return another time to finish our business then.” Glancing towards Mulch, Artemis seemed to smile. “And as for mental instability, I can attest to Natsu being…as sane as most wizards, I suppose. From what I’ve observed, he has a penchant for violence and is overprotective, but is otherwise harmless.”

“An unusual project? Why would that make Zeref speak of me?” Mavis seemed to frown, her brow furrowing. Then, she focused her gaze on Artemis again. “Are you looking to increase your magical potential? Investigating black magic? No…that wouldn’t quite fit…” She folded her arms over her chest, turning away. 

Seeing her struggle, Lucy tried focusing on Artemis. However, Mulch was already moving forward, narrowing his own eyes at the young genius. “Oh, he’s violent alright. And if that continues on, I promise you, you aren’t going to like where it ends up. Dragon slayers are bad news, always have been.”

That seemed to make Artemis tilt his head slightly. “Is that so? Interesting. Butler, remind me to ask…Holly about this when we return.” The bodyguard nodded, while Lucy wondered who the heck Holly was. For a kid that seemed to have no friends, he seemed to have an odd amount of weird contacts.

“Hold on, back up a second. What do you mean dragon slayers are bad news?” Gray watched as Mulch took a seat at the bar, looking at him with wide innocent eyes. Even Natsu looked startled, watching the dwarf with his eyes widened as Gray’s gaze narrowed.

“Did I say that? I meant that they were…rad news. Yeah, rad news, trying out some new lingo there. Sounds pretty cool, right?”

Something about his nervous stuttering didn’t feel good to Lucy. However, Mavis was watching the dwarf now, frowning at him. “How does he know about that? No one knows…no one but Zeref and me…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

Glancing towards her, Natsu grinned. “Oh, I forgot to tell ya. This is the fairy we went out and found. At least, he says he’s a fairy.”

This time, Artemis seemed to sputter slightly. “Hold on a moment. Did you say he told you he was a fairy?” Mavis was staring at Mulch with wide eyes, while Artemis’ question interrupted what was about to be the start of an unusual conversation.

“Sure did. Claims he was kinda in trouble back home, so he figured we’d protect him if he told us what he was.” Natsu still had that same grin on his face, turning towards Artemis. “Still…he doesn’t look like one. Aren’t fairies supposed to have wings or something? And if he doesn’t have a tail, what kind of a name is Fairy Tail anyway?”

The child didn’t seem to know how to respond, simply gazing at Mulch with an odd fascination. “An escaped criminal? Ah…perhaps you should introduce me another time. I suspect there are many great things he could accomplish, but there are other matters to deal with—“

“But he has to be one.” Mavis interrupted, though Artemis did keep talking despite of it. More accurately, Lucy and her team focused more on Mavis than they did on the young genius rambling on about why Mulch needed to leave. “It is the only explanation that makes sense. Only someone who was alive back then, or knew someone alive back then, would know about it.”

“Know about what?” This time, Gray joined in on the group no longer caring about speaking to Mavis with Artemis around. 

“About the final result of dragon slaying magic.” Seeing the way both Natsu and Wendy looked stricken by the news, Mavis gave a small smile. “Don’t worry. There were…precautions taken with you two, that should stop it from happening. However…many years ago, it was the destiny of all dragon slayers to eventually become a dragon themselves.”

“Yeah…we heard a little bit about that in Crocus. But still…I didn’t realize it would actually happen.” Wendy looked nervous, biting her lower lip. “I guess it makes me glad to hear that something was done to block it for us, though.”

Mavis nodded, giving her a brief smile before frowning once more. “I’m glad I could help ease some of your worries at least. But, hearing about that again…along with mentions of Zeref…I don’t like this. We need to bring everyone back. If this means what I think it does, Fairy Tail is about to be involved in a war unlike anything you can imagine.”

“If we are beginning a war, I assure you, we will strike down our enemies.” Erza sounded confident, smiling at the first master. However, Artemis seemed to break off his words now, realizing he was being ignored. Instead, he was frowning, watching the Fairy Tail wizards speak to the master that he could not see.

Shaking her head, Mavis glanced towards Artemis instead. “You won’t be able to do that with this one.” Her eyes flickered around, and after a moment, she walked back behind the bar counter. 

With Mavis gone for a moment, everyone was silent. Artemis cleared his throat, glancing at them with a frown. “Excuse me, but is there something I’m missing here? It appears as if you are having a conversation rather unrelated to my own. All things considered, it would be best for you to take your..ah…companion and find a place to rest for the moment.”

Artemis’ hand seemed to hover by his side, pressing against his pants. Lucy wondered why he was pushing this so much, but she didn’t get to ask because Mavis suddenly returned, smacking a stamp on Artemis’ hand. “Wait, was that—?” Lucy didn’t get to finish because Gray was leaping forward.

“Are you out of your mind? This kid isn’t even a wizard, let alone interested in being a part of a guild. Why the hell would you go and give him Fairy Tail’s guild mark?”

“I don’t know…he might want to be a part of a guild.” Wendy smiled, glancing at them. “I mean, wasn’t he trying to find his family before? Maybe he wants to make new friends too.”

Meanwhile, Artemis was glancing down at the back of his hand with a frown. There, a dark blue guild mark rested where there used to be nothing but bare skin. “Odd. I did not see anyone approaching. Butler, did you miss something as well?” The bodyguard’s eyes widened when Artemis turned his mark towards the man. However, the action also turned Artemis’ body, making him freeze with wide eyes as Mavis entered his field of view.

“I marked him for one simple reason. I need to know what he knows.” Mavis smiled, holding her hand out towards him. “If you do not wish to join the guild, that is fine. The mark is simply what allows you to see me, Fairy Tail’s first master.” Artemis took her hand almost instinctively to shake it, but it was clear he was still processing her words. “My name is Mavis Vermillion. Now, what is it that Zeref is requesting you to do?”

“Fairy Tail has existed for nearly a century…yet you appear to be a child.” Artemis’ eyes seemed to be widening, an odd thrilled look entering his expression. “The darkness that lies within their heart…you bear the curse as well. The Curse of Contradictions…you are immortal.”

Mavis stepped back as if Artemis had slapped her. “How…where did you hear that?”

Meanwhile, even Mulch had frozen. “Whoever you’re talking to can’t have that curse, because if they did, I’d be able to see ‘em.”

Glancing around, Artemis frowned at that. “You…you do not see her?” Puzzlement stretched across his features, and Butler rested a hand on his shoulders.

“Artemis…are you alright? This…man is not lying. No one is speaking with you.”

Hearing that, Artemis returned his gaze to Mavis, slowly blinking towards her. “The mark…ah, now I see. Or, perhaps to some degree, since the mechanics are likely more complex than what I am imagining. You are…a thought projection, correct?” Slowly, Mavis nodded, her posture relaxing slightly. “I apologize if my words startled you. Zeref has been speaking in odd riddles lately, though he did provide me with the name of his curse.”

“Lately?” Lucy snorted, shaking her head. “He spoke in riddles when I was around too.”

Artemis did not reply, staring at Mavis with a frown. “He wished to apologize to you, and to inform you that he is no longer able to stop ‘it’ anymore. I believe he was referencing the curse, though I cannot be certain.” Glancing around, Artemis frowned. “He claimed that you would need to prepare Natsu for something, though once again, I am not certain about what. Furthermore, he claimed this would be more than a simple battle. To put it in his words exactly, he claimed it would be a ‘one-sided annihilation’, though I do find that to be a bit of an exaggeration.”

“As Fairy Tail currently stands, he would not be wrong.” Mavis spoke calmly, gazing out towards the guild. “From the sounds of things, he isn’t quite to that point, however. We still have time…while he is on the verge of…” She trailed off, her gaze beginning to grow thoughtful.

“I do apologize for interrupting, but there was one more piece to our agreement. Zeref made me promise to introduce you to a fairy, as well.” Suddenly, Mavis’ green eyes locked on his. Even Lucy and her team did the same, their eyes widening as they realized he had the same goal as they did. “While it wasn’t the one I had in mind, it appears as if your own wizards have managed to locate one, specifically a dwarf.” Artemis pointed towards Mulch, who narrowed his eyes at the boy.

“Wait…you know about fairies?”

Smiling, Artemis nodded. “Indeed I do, and I assure you, you are not the only fairy I’ve encountered.” That made the dwarf swallow, glancing towards the place Artemis had been speaking. 

Mulch seemed to be confused, not noticing how Mavis approached him, inspecting him from all angles. She walked around his seated form, kneeling down to take a gauge of his height and reaching to try and touch his beard. “But…if this is a fairy…where is the magic? The wings? The tail?”

“Those stories?” Artemis shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “As far as wings go, only sprites truly grow such an appendage. Others are forced to fly by using the odd technology the People, or fairies as you call them, have discovered. While I have yet to completely understand it, it does appear to mimic many variations of magic without actually requiring that power.”

“Can he do anything special?” Mavis frowned at him, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Fairies are supposed to be special…he can’t be a fairy. He just can’t be…he’s too hairy, too smelly…and I haven’t seen him use magic.”

“Ah…mentions of dwarves were rather limited, so I can’t reveal too many particular ‘gifts’ of theirs. However, they do possess the ability to unhinge their jaws. It helps to consume dirt faster for tunneling, correct?” Mulch nodded, his eyes wide at Artemis’ words. Even Lucy didn’t know how the kid had learned so much in so little time. “As for magic…Lucy, did anyone on your team invite Mulch into Fairy Tail?”

“Invite him in? We led him into the building, and it was rather unnecessary to tell him he was welcome to follow.” Erza smiled towards the dwarf. “After all, we did bring him here to meet the First.”

“Yeah, plus isn’t it kinda obvious that he’s welcome inside?”

Swallowing, Mulch glanced at Artemis. “Kid, you don’t know about that, do you? I mean…that’s a bit much, even for a mud boy who met one of my kind before.”

“Ah, but the first of your kind I met agreed to a deal with me, Mr…” 

“Diggums. Mulch Diggums, at your service. Though, if you see the LEP, it’s Maurice, okay?”

Nodding, Artemis smiled. “I obtained a copy of the Book.”

Mulch swallowed, while Artemis returned his focus towards Mavis. “Now, as I was saying, without a direct invitation into this ‘dwelling’, as their own book phrases it, a fairy loses all of its ability to utilize magic.” Glancing towards Mulch, Artemis frowned. “Not that Dwarves were one of the more magical races. Those powers were always strongest amongst dragons and the demon race.” 

“Demons?” Gray paled, staring at Artemis who smiled.

“Ah, not of that nature. Fairy demons are not the same as Zeref’s creations. Though, I did make that mistake upon seeing the first mention of them myself.”

Meanwhile, Mavis’ eyes were beginning to water slightly. “No magic…fairies aren’t magical. And all this one can do…is eat dirt.” She seemed to sit down on the ground, while Lucy bit her lip. It looked like this was crushing her dream completely, rather than fulfilling it. 

“So, anyone going to fill me in on who we’re talking to anyway? Because I’d kinda like to know what’s going on here, and how it involves me.”

“Oh, Artemis is speaking to Mavis.” Wendy smiled at the dwarf, who blinked in surprise. “Yeah, it is kinda weird.” She let out a slight laugh, turning to glance at her hands. “But it’s normal, for us. Only people with Fairy Tail’s guild mark can see her, but she’s really sweet and kind. In fact, if it wasn’t for her, none of us would have made it off of Tenrou Island alive.”

“I do believe she is going into shock as well. She seems to have expected something a bit different from a fairy.” Artemis frowned at her, while Mavis seemed to be gazing at Mulch with watery eyes.

“Prove him wrong…please…be magical…” She sniffled, reaching out towards Mulch. However, all the dwarf did was stiffen for a moment, before actually leaning to the side to release a built up bubble of gas. Artemis frowned at the noise, watching as Mulch didn’t even look ashamed of his actions. Meanwhile, Mavis leaned back, covering her nose with her hands and sobbing even harder. “Not even elegant…or pretty…”

“Ah, sorry about that. You know what they say about dwarf gas? It only goes out one end, if you get what I mean.” He patted Artemis’ arm, and Lucy was thinking she really didn’t need to have that much information. 

“As entertaining as this all is…Artemis, your father did ask that you do something here before returning.” The young genius nodded, glancing towards Lucy who was frowning.

He opened his mouth, then he shut it and looked back towards the ground. “I…I suppose this is a bit unusual. While Mavis is recovering, I do believe we have a moment to speak about the matter however.” Glancing towards her, Lucy wondered if she could do anything. Right now, it was looking like Mulch had just shattered whatever illusions Mavis had about real fairies and the girl was not taking it well. Coming closer to her, Makarov seemed to rub her shoulder, while she cried and knelt on the ground. “You see, I came here for a rather specific reason, following up on a rumor my father has heard.”

“Don’t tell me you want to hold another member hostage so you can abuse the guild members again?” Lucy watched as Artemis simply gazed calmly back at her, taking her harsh comment with ease.

“I do admit, there was likely a better alternative in that situation. Believe it or not, I have grown since then.” It had only been a month since then, but she forced herself to stay quiet this time. “Unlike before, I come to you to make the request directly, rather than holding anyone, or anything, over you in return for services.” This kid was joking, she was certain of it. However, he seemed to notice the way she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over his chest. “Lucy, I am certain you recall meeting my mother, do you not?”

That made her stop, her eyes widening slightly. That woman had thought she was a maid, and didn’t even recognize Artemis either. “Yeah, I remember.” She looked away, frowning. “With your father back, I bet things have gotten better with her. I mean, didn’t you say him disappearing caused all that?”

“Caused it, yes. However, his return did not cure her. My mother still suffers from her delusions, and they are even stronger than before.” Artemis rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes. “That is why I came, or more accurately, why my father insisted we come. He heard rumors that a member of your team is capable of using healing magic. He wishes to hire her to attempt to heal my mother’s mental illness.”

Their gazes all slid to Wendy, who blinked in surprise. “Heal a mental illness?” Wendy frowned, folding her hands in front of her. “I…I don’t think I can do anything like that. I mean, Natsu’s motion sickness is probably the closest I’ve gotten to something that isn’t just an injury of some form.”

“I had assumed as such. Healing is a delicate art, one which many have forgotten after all.”

Smiling, Wendy nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m pretty lucky. Grandeeney taught me so much…before she left.” Her head turned towards Artemis, her smile faded slightly. “If I could help, I would. No one deserves to lose their family to anything…it’s got to be hard, facing her when she isn’t herself.”

There was a pause, while Artemis turned towards her. “Grandeeney? Then, is there someone else who—“ Suddenly, he broke off, glancing out towards the front windows of the guild. Following his gaze, Lucy gasped at the sight of an odd shimmering azure field growing in the sky, surrounding the guild hall. “They’ve come. It appears as if the games have begun.” Artemis spoke calmly, as the one who apparently understood what was going on. By his side, Mulch seemed to shrink back into his seat, staring at the light with an odd wariness.

“Oh. So that’s why you wanted us to leave. Huh.” He glanced towards Artemis, raising his eyebrows. “Got anything to get out of this one, mud boy?” Artemis simply smiled, leaning back in his chair. Lucy rather hoped he did, because she still had no idea what kind of a mess they were in, once again thanks to Artemis Fowl II.


	23. Loss of Patience

Things seemed to have grown oddly quiet in Zeref’s prison. Or perhaps Zeref had simply stopped listening. Regardless, the black wizard had been left alone with his thoughts for quite some time. Meditation kept him calm, but at the same time, the odd restlessness that had been growing on Tenrou Island was stirring. He knew what that feeling meant. It meant he was done with this little game of theirs, done being the pet of the Fowls and ready to change his life. He had given them their chance, and at the moment, they were failing. Not only did the elder Artemis seem to be inept at comprehending how futile understanding his curse was, but the younger now had delusions about finding fairies. It was almost pitiful to see such genius minds falling into the depths of fantasy, but at the same time, it had brought back recollections of Mavis. Those memories were both good and bad, depending on who viewed them.

When Artemis mentioned finding fairies, all Zeref could think about was the moment he nearly had found peace with his curse. Mavis had been falling deeply into depression, but in that moment, he had the stark realization that he couldn’t lose the only companion he had gained in hundreds of years. He couldn’t grant her request, and once he sensed the underlying curse, he had been unable to stop himself. Mavis was everything to him. She was immortal, and he couldn’t lose her. She was the one person he wouldn’t lose. At least, that was what he had thought. Then, he had to go ahead and grant her wish. He killed her, all because he loved the cursed girl that he had thought was the only one who could survive.

That guilt had been the source of his deal with the young boy. It was a foolish thing to do, granting him knowledge. In the hands of someone like him, it would become a powerful tool. However, he needed to do something to alleviate that guilt. When the boy had left, the memories and guilt lingered, haunting his mind and plaguing his every thought. Even when he managed to sleep, his dreams were restless and filled with her ghost. Sometimes, he felt as if he were imagining her presence nearby, though he knew she was far away. He was on the brink of madness, muttering to himself and shouting for her to leave him alone when no one was observing him. 

Like all the other times his thoughts drove him to madness, Zeref took the only route he knew to take. If thoughts were driving him insane, he’d simply have to change his way of thinking. Guilt ate away at him after his initial curse, and after learning that death wasn’t an option, he settled with embracing this power. When the world hated him for such actions and tried to kill him as a result, he attempted to change again, settling with remaining on the borderline between valuing life and forgetting why it was important. Now, he was forgetting again, because even on that borderline, the guilt still ate away at him leaving him nothing but a hollow shell of a person that no one would recognize.

So, his thoughts on Mavis needed to be reformed. Meditating gave him a calm basis to work from, keeping his curse at bay while settling down his turbulent emotions that even he could no longer grasp at exactly what they were. Back then, when she died, it had sent him back into isolation. He had gone to her home to be as close to her as possible, while staying as far away from her as possible at the same time. Yet, from that moment, something incredible had been born. When his guilty conscience finally drew him back to Fairy Tail just once in the middle of his isolation, he had sensed it. Fairy Heart, the key to so many secrets in the magical world, resided in that guild hall, as a part of Mavis. If it had not been for her death, for his own act of murdering her, it would not exist. So, why not make her death meaningful? If everyone else was nothing more than a mere pawn, she could be one as well.

This thought was exactly why Artemis was likely going to regret reminding Zeref of Mavis. In his prison, Zeref smiled and moved to grab the lacrima Artemis kept inside to keep an eye on him. Right now, there was no light as it was inactive, but Zeref could change that with ease. Had they truly been so foolish to not even attempt to dampen his magic here? Zeref nearly laughed at the thought, shaking his head. Perhaps they had made the building sturdy enough to withstand attacks, but they did not realize how much could be done from inside, even with so few tools to access. This lacrima was all he needed.

Manipulating the stored energy inside, Zeref closed his eyes and focused. Warmth was rushing through his body with his magic, like an electric current keeping him alive and awake. Inside, Zeref reworked the lacrima’s energy, breaking its connection to Artemis’ surveillance lacrimas. From there, he worked on forming a new connection, rewriting the code of the magic itself into that of a communication lacrima. Once finished, he activated his device, smiling faintly as he saw a sliver of what was a massive room. From the vantage point of an ornate wooden table, Zeref had a view of a tall-backed chair, with an elderly individual sitting inside. Walking behind him in the background, Zeref saw a slight motion of a white suit, but it vanished quickly.

“Your highness.” The elderly man bowed his head, pressing a hand to his chest reverently. “It is good to hear from you. It has been much too long.”

“Perhaps it has been too long.” August had a valid point, making Zeref frown. How long had it been since he involved himself with Alvarez? His time on Tenrou Island muddled his thoughts, and he was beginning to wonder if he had been there since Mavis died. “Regardless, how have things been looking as of late?”

“As per your orders, we of the Spriggan Twelve have taken control of the empire in your absence. The economy flourishes with our recent trading deals, though the citizens are getting anxious as they await your return.” August’s hands were clasped in front of him on the table, leaning forward towards the lacrima. “We’ve reached a truce with the territory of Molindra. Before you left, you had been attempting to expand the empire further west to take over their lands.” Vaguely, Zeref recalled something of that nature. Molindra was not exactly a place filled with lush resources, however, the territory possessed far more strength in magical power than he had expected. Gaining their wizards as allies to his kingdom had seemed like a wise move, when he had been certain that one day war would be inevitable for his future.

Nodding, Zeref gestured for August to continue. “They’re monarch, Queen Rosilindra, surrendered at the beginning of the year. We’ve been working on incorporating your procedures for delegation of power to fallen rulers, as is common when we take control of a new territory. Currently, Dimaria is away to deal with those matters. Larcade has been assisting her when necessary.” It was something to be expected. His usual procedures did involve allowing former monarchs to maintain a fragment of their former power, so long as they swore allegiance to him and the Spriggan Twelve. The former monarchs, or whatever form of ruler they had been, would take the position of something similar to a mayor within the nation. They delegated smaller tasks, and helped maintain order amongst the various wizard guilds in his vast kingdom. 

“What of our advancements to the plan I spoke of before I last left?” He had vaguely hinted at what was to come when he returned. Zeref had already been hypothesizing how to create Neo Eclipse, even before hiding away on Tenrou Island.

Nodding, August leaned back in his chair. “We’ve expanded our army by five thousand men since the beginning of the month. Training is still in progress for others, and our total ranks are always growing. Invel, Irene, and Bloodman are away to oversee the continuation of these training camps. I would have helped, however, I was the one selected to take over the delegations of paperwork and overseas negotiations while residing in Vistarion.”

Out of his guard, August was the best choice for such a position. Nodding, Zeref smiled. “I see. Can we be ready to launch our invasion in a month, August?”

The man nodded, his expression still neutral. “Consider it done, sire. Our army is faithfully awaiting your orders, just as they always have been since you last left.”

“Begin the preparations then. I have wasted enough time already, waiting for some miracle that will never arrive.” No one was coming to kill him. He should have realized that centuries ago, back when Acnologia had attacked him and failed to truly destroy him. Perhaps Natsu was designed to be powerful, but it was becoming painfully obvious that it wasn’t enough. So, his brother would simply have to die instead. In the end, it truly wouldn’t affect things after all. He was going to rewrite history and change this entire world. “I will contact you again once I am on my way back. Currently, I am in a rather…unusual situation. However, it shouldn’t take much effort to escape.” The Fowls did know advanced magic, but they had not studied such spells for centuries. Perhaps if given more time, they could have contained him, but really their efforts were little more than a minor delay.

“Would you like for me to send assistance for you, sire? It could expedite your plans, after all.” 

Shaking his head, Zeref smiled darkly at his guard. “Oh no, I have a rather special task to deal with on my own. Focus on preparing the army, August. In the meantime, I intend on showing a child just what happens when someone decides to toy with my power.” That child was going to regret everything he said. Artemis had spent too much time taunting him about this curse, claiming he would find an impossible cure just so he could market it as a gift. Such a boy, with his brilliant mind that reminded Zeref of himself, simply had to die. 

Breaking off the connection to August on that note, Zeref turned his focus towards the door of the shed he had lived in for the last few years. He was fed regularly, and it was locked from the outside, but locks were rather easy to deal with using magic. Magical enchantments were a bit more tricky, but Zeref had made enough seals of his own to understand the process of reversing them as well. Sealing away demons was far more complex than the binding spells meant to contain him here, after all. So, overall, it took Zeref a mere ten minutes to break through them and open the door. 

Once outside, Zeref paused. The land surrounding the shed had suffered from his presence, it seemed. The grass was gone, a clean circle of dirt surrounding the foundation of the building he had been inside of. In other areas, the land was lively and well-cared for, showing a stark contrast to the prison he had called home. However, he did not linger on the sight for long. Moving quickly, he began to stride towards the house, while reconnecting the lacrima in his hand to the one Artemis used to spy on him. The boy would see him on the others, after all, so he might as well spy on him in return. 

The front door proved to have its own lock, but much like his prison, it proved simple enough to bypass. With a slight surge of energy, the lock clicked and Zeref opened the door and entered the grand building. Glancing around, he frowned. The Fowls had extravagant tastes, and kept their home even more decorated than his castle in Vistarion. Maybe they would have maintained even more wealth if they were wiser about how to spend their funds. 

He took a few short steps, quickly realizing the door had opened into a main living room, with a staircase ascending to the upper floor just to his right. Glancing up towards the higher floor, Zeref smiled darkly. There, he could see a young woman moving down the stairs at a rapid pace, a fierce expression on her face. She looked to be fairly young, likely only a few years older than Zeref had been when he gained his curse. With long blond hair pulled back behind her head, she seemed to have prepared for some form of battle. “You! Master Fowl said you agreed to stay in the shed.” Her pace had slowed, a slight frown on her face as her brow furrowed.

Folding his hands behind his back, Zeref tilted his head and studied her. She had some muscle built on her small body, yet she carried herself with a bright smile meant to mislead others. “I grew rather bored of that arrangement. In fact, consider this my way of saying our contract has ended.”

“Oh. Well…Master Fowl did say you weren’t to be harmed.” She seemed to hesitate, before crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll pass along your message to him, but I can’t allow you to come inside any further.”

Glancing at the staircase behind her, Zeref inclined his head slightly. “I see. And just who might you be to make such a claim?”

With a smirk, the girl seemed to shift her weight slightly. “Juliet Butler. I came here to visit my brother, but of course he had to get taken away on some mission just as I arrived. Instead, I’m stuck with babysitting Miss Fowl while they’re gone.” The girl talked too much. Zeref could use this to his advantage, if he had time. However, he was not in the mood to play games. He had wasted too much time as it was, years of it, waiting to die. He had been a fool, and he would no longer make the same mistakes. Zeref would be fast and efficient, going to any lengths to achieve his goal. Neo Eclipse would be activated, and he would not let a mere child stand in his way.

“Juliet Butler…I suggest you remove yourself from the premises. My business is with Artemis Fowl II, and no one else.” The girl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Did you not hear me or something? I said you’re not passing. Why don’t you just go back to your shed? I’ll tell Arty you’re looking for him later.”

With a sigh, Zeref glanced towards the wall to his left. A painting of some woman hung there, with her hands clasped and her head fallen to her chest as if in prayer. It made him scowl, thinking back to Ankhseram and wondering why anyone would be foolish enough to hold such cruel beings in high regard. “Then I suppose you leave me with no options. I will not be stopped, Juliet Butler, not by anyone. Perhaps I hold no dilemma with you, but Artemis Fowl must die before he realizes his full potential. Stand in my way and you will join his fate.” 

This time, the girl’s eyes narrowed and her arms dropped. The more direct threat seemed to be the way to get her attention. However, instead of backing down, she seemed to get excited. “Oh yeah? Well, I’m a Butler, and we don’t go down easy. Maybe I didn’t go through the same training as my brother, but I’ve been watching the Grand Magic Games ever since they began. I know all of the moves of the greatest wizards of all time, and if you think you can top that, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Use whatever spells you desire. It makes little difference.” Zeref didn’t even move as she stepped closer, and this time, she slowed and narrowed her eyes. Her body was tense, her gaze wary as she focused on Zeref. She was cautious, realizing that Zeref was not someone that would be easy to stop. “Immortality means they do little other than cause pain, which can be ignored. Now, tell me, do you have a spell that can counter death magic itself?” In his palm, Zeref created a dark black orb of magic. Juliet paled slightly at the sight, likely sensing the ominous aura of his magic now that he was utilizing the power granted to him by the curse. Really, it had only taken a few years for him to gain total control from where he had been at when he went to that island. Natsu should have ended him when he had the chance.

“What’s all that noise down there?” Another voice shouted, distracting Juliet for just a moment. In that moment, Zeref struck, sending his orb flying towards her. The dark tendrils of his magic collided with her chest, knocking the wind out of the girl. However, that wasn’t even necessary. As the death magic hit her, it exploded and expanded around her body, draining away her energy in an instant. She lay motionless on the floor in an instant, while Zeref glanced towards the newcomer. With brown hair and slightly crazed eyes, Zeref saw the instability within her. “Damn that stupid girl. She was interrupting my honeymoon with Timmy. Can’t these people at least give me one day off?”

This was Artemis’ mother. For a moment, Zeref simply watched her as the woman’s gaze finally noticed him. “Who on earth are you? Timmy, get down here! One of your guild members is at the door again.” Really, Zeref had no clue who she thought he was. However, a new plan was forming. Perhaps Artemis Fowl II didn’t have to die, if he could be persuaded to ally with himself instead. A genius mind, working side by side with him and enhancing his plans would only help to block out whatever countermeasures Mavis might make. To do that, he’d need to motivate the boy. Staring at the woman, Zeref smiled darkly as his eyes flashed bright red. 

“I am Zeref, and you…you will be his incentive, Angeline Fowl.” He had heard the Fowls speak enough of her to know her name. In an instant, more black magic filled the room, killing her off as well. Gazing down at the bodies of the two woman, Zeref smiled and knelt by their sides. It was time to get to work now. After all, his leverage would only work if he truly had both woman under his thumb. Not only would the Fowls be under his every command, but he’d have the added bonus of another member to his army, the famous Butler desperate to protect the sister that Zeref had just killed. Luckily, he had not explained that his creations would die the moment he succeeded. Now, he could use their ignorance to his advantage, and with a new demon by his side, Fairy Tail would have no idea what they were up against.


	24. Limited Invitation

Commander Root was confident that things would be running smoothly from here on out. Mud men were foolish, trusting that no one would ever manage to beat their stupid magic abilities. Relying on old tricks like that left them weak to other techniques. While Root would never admit it out loud, Foaly had kept the People far ahead of anything mud men could do. As a result, with a time stop in place, he knew Holly would be back home in no time.

“Foaly, you got eyes on ‘em yet?” Commander Root spoke into the com system, keeping him linked to the centaur who had set up an on-site tech station. Getting him above ground to work in the time stop was a challenge on its own, but only Foaly would be able to operate inside the guild hall. Gaining a legal standing to enter would be a pain, since it wasn’t like they could get a call for help in a place like this. So, he asked the centaur to tag along, hoping for cameras and audio from his tech. With all the money he was pumping into Foaly’s work, the centaur at least better learn to pull his weight around here.

The response was a bit delayed, though it still came quick enough. “Eyes and ears are a go, Commander. Still no sign of Holly…but the kid is definitely there.”

“Well, find her then. We don’t have time to waste, Foaly. Get my captain out of there so we can wipe ‘em and finish with this mess before we waste more energy on this time stop.” Using time stops expended far more resources than he’d like to admit. They were meant for emergencies only, and the intricate power needed wasn’t exactly easy to gain. As far as the actual use of them went, Root could care less about how it worked. So long as it got the job done, he would do just about anything to deal with this Fowl kid.

The centaur grumbled something under his breath, but Root pretended not to hear. Near him, other officers of the LEP were on standby. He had a recon team ready, just in case Foaly’s tech failed and they needed to do some lookout the old fashioned way. Then, the retrieval team was ready to swoop in and claim Holly once the invitation was given. He just hoped someone would manage to find a way to get a foolish wizard to invite them inside. “You know, there’s a far easier way to deal with this sort of thing, Commander.” Cudgeon, one of Root’s oldest friends was standing next to him with a small smile. “One blue rinse and we’re done, with minimal losses. Really, it’s what is best for the People, don’t you agree?”

“But Holly is still in there, right?” Grub Kelp, one of the youngest of the team added in his own comments. “Plus, they are wizards. I mean, don’t you think one of them might figure a way out of it?”

Snorting, Root crossed his arms over his chest. “Wizard or not, they’re still mud men. None of them can survive a bio-bomb…but that still doesn’t mean it’s our first choice.” He glanced towards Cudgeon, scowling and shaking his head. “Minimize casualties, and leave no trace behind for others to grow suspicious. This is a rather famous guild, Cudgeon. You want to deal with the repercussions of killing everyone inside?”

“True, you do have a valid point. But, it is still an option, one that would waste far less of our time and resources.” Cudgeon smiled, though Root simply sighed and glanced back towards the guild hall. With everyone shielded and stationed for a fight, it gave the area a tense atmosphere. It felt odd, doing this in such a public area, but they had gotten lucky when clearing away traffic. A small amount of the mesmer was all it had taken to convince the mud men to go elsewhere, and from there, it was just a quick set-up and a call to Foaly to get the time stop active.

Fairy Tail was a name even the People had heard of. The guild had some odd moments in history, starting with their odd founder. Foaly, being the paranoid centaur he was, insisted that there was something off about someone so young founding a guild. Yet, she had and the place had done well for itself. Even with her gone, it still thrived, the name still haunting the minds of fairies who heard it for the first time, thinking someone had managed to discover at least one of them as a result.

“Foaly, you got anything yet? I’m not getting any younger here.” The com system was still open, and it was getting a bit tense just standing around with the LEP. Being in charge was one thing, but it made his officers too nervous to actually talk. Having friends wasn’t something he was allowed in his position. In fact, the only officer willing to step up and talk back to him was Captain Short, the currently missing elf. 

“Ah, sorry. No, nothing on Holly. However, I do have eyes on your favorite convict, Commander.” That made him scowl. Mulch was here. He had nearly forgotten that Foaly reported the dwarf being taken. After the botched retrieval, he had pulled the team back to focus on Holly first. “He’s with the same wizards that took out our retrieval team. And…it looks like he’s speaking to the boy that took Holly.”

“D’Arvit.” Root swore, shaking his head and glaring at the guild hall. “Can you get him out of there, Foaly? I’ve got a few choice words for that reprobate when I get my hands on him.”

“Maybe…but you might not want to do that.” There was a pause from the centaur, making Root nearly shout at him for being so vague. Couldn’t he just stop dodging the question for once? “Ah…from what I’ve overheard…I think I know why your retrieval team was taken out. Do you remember that info on dragon slayers we recorded centuries ago?”

“Get to the point, Foaly. I’m not in the mood for guessing games about ancient history.” Dragon slayers were long gone, dead along with the dragon race that led to their birth. They had taught the People a valuable lesson about the price of mingling fairy races with humans. It just didn’t mix, and it caused far too many problems. 

“Well, it looks like there are dragon slayers. In the guild.” That made Root freeze, not responding to make sure he’d heard correctly. There were no dragons. Without dragons, dragon slayers couldn’t exist. It was just simple logic. “I know what you’re going to say. But…the reading on their magic aura matches our databases for dragon slayers from four hundred years ago. Same signature, one looking to have fire as their element, the other with wind.”

Pausing, Root waited for an explanation. When none came, he glared at the building since the centaur was out of his sight and out of reach. “So…you’re telling me there are dragon slayers in existence.” There was a pause as Foaly said something in the affirmative. “And for them to exist, a dragon must still be around somewhere.” This time, silence answered him. “Care to explain how all of your surveillance managed to miss a dragon living above ground? Because I’m fairly certain one of them would be hard to miss.”

“My bugs didn’t miss a thing!” Foaly was quick to fight back, but he paused afterwords. “All I know is that they found a way around it…but that’s not even the most alarming bit.” Root had heard enough, realizing shields were useless against these wizards, but he figured he’d let the centaur finish. “There’s something powerful here. Magic for sure, not from one of the wizards…but it isn’t a spell of any kind I’ve seen. There’s more power in it than anything else we’ve found, even more than their Etherion weapon in Era.”

Foaly’s tech on sensing magic was useful for this very reason. It could tell them what kind of wizards to expect, what kind of dormant spells were waiting to be activated, and even if there was a lingering trace of a spell used in the vicinity of the area in recent time. One sweep of his scanner detected latent ethernano in the air and in people, differentiating between styles of magic based on the organization of each particle along with the way it was processed and altered inside each wizard. When Root was looking at the monitor explaining all the details, he nodded as if he understood it clearly. Meanwhile, Foaly read the results to him in actual gnomish, unlike the blasted high-tech gizmos he was being forced to use these days.

“Can you disable it?”

“That’s the thing. It doesn’t even seem to be active.” Foaly paused, likely trying to find the source. “And…my cameras can’t find it. I’m not seeing anything that looks like a spell like this…everything in the guild has been logged in our wizard databases. Even the magic wizards are—oh no.”

“Oh no what?” Root wasn’t in the mood for more problems this early on.

“Ah…you know how my bugs are designed to look like…well, bugs?” With the way Foaly worked, it didn’t surprise Root. He simply grunted, waiting for the full explanation. “It looks like someone caught this one. Still recording…but the kid that took Holly is looking right at the lens. I’ve got no visual other than him the moment.”

“Well, fly your bug away and leave him be.” 

“Yep, working on it. Alright…now…oh dear.” There was another pause, making Root wonder if he’d have to ask for answers again. However, that was when a new audio came over the com system, making Root scowl. “Sorry, I’m patching you into the audio of my camera. Seems like…and I can’t believe I’m saying this…but it seems like the kid knows what this thing is.”

“—alliance. I do apologize for the poor start to such things, however, if you wish for a meeting in person, only the one in command of this operation may enter the building, and only upon disarming himself entirely.” It was a calm voice, one that sent chills down Root’s spine. The kid wanted to speak to him. 

“What the heck are you talking to? Are you going to explain what’s going on?” A female voice shouted over the camera, sounding annoyed at the first speaker.

“A time stop is in place. Worry not, Miss Heartfilia, all is going according to plan.” There was a pause, making Root wonder what more was going on. “Though I did not anticipate your own companion in my plans. Perhaps…Maurice could be of use to us.”

Having heard enough, Root swore once again. “Yeah. So, what’s the plan?” 

Glancing around at the team, Root felt his gaze drawn towards Cudgeon. “Still no sight of Holly?” 

“None. Can’t get my bug away from his grip either, so we’re in the dark if you want to keep searching inside.” 

Sighing, Root shook his head and began pulling his blaster out of the holster on his hip. “I hate these negotiations. Keep an ear out, Foaly. I want you listening to every word, recording everything so we can make sure nothing is missed.” 

“Of course, sir.”

Glancing towards him Cudgeon raised his eyebrows. “Did the centaur actually get us somewhere then?” Clearly, his underling had not been listening like he had.

“Actually, yes. Foaly got me an invitation inside…well, at least a form of one.” Going in unarmed went against his deepest instincts. If one of his officers did something like this, he’d have their stripes in no time. They’d be on probation, stuck with desk work for the next fifty years before he even considered sending them on another mission. However, this was a desperate time. “And no, we’re not activating a bio-bomb. I don’t want casualties in this mess, Cudgeon. If we did that, we’d be no better than the mud men who took my captain.”

“You may see it that way, but you better be prepared to back your orders to the council.” Root only scowled. They were too big on regulation, never seeing the full picture since they were never out on the field. This was his call to make, and he was going to get Holly back. She was his best officer, not that he’d ever admit that to the girl. With a bit more experience, she’d be leading her own missions and giving out her own commands. Going from captain to major would be the first step, and he was already working on the paperwork for her recommendation. 

“I’ll fight it all they want, but right now, I’ve got an officer to find.” Pulling off the rest of his weapons, Root stretched his arms and gave their makeshift camp one last glance.

Grub blinked at him, his eyes wide. “But…those were your blasters. You can’t go in without at least one of them.”

“Those were the rules, Grub. Unarmed, or no permission to enter. Boy was smart with how he worded it too…I’ll be damned if I don’t find out how he knows so much.”

With that, he turned to leave them behind. Negotiations would begin soon, and he didn’t need the distraction of his officers trying to talk him out of this. Hopefully, this kid was all talk and no game. Really, Root hadn’t been on the field in ages, but this warranted a change in his actions. He’d get Holly back, and when he did, he’d make sure that mud boy forgot enough of his past to reduce him into a drooling buffoon, if that was what it took to keep the People safe from him.


	25. Beginnings of an Alliance

Within Fairy Tail’s guild hall, Artemis sat calmly and began to wait. While he wasn’t certain of exactly how the device functioned, when Butler had caught the odd device, Artemis was certain it had been the People’s way to get around the need for an invitation to enter. It truly was remarkable how they could manage to make something so intricate be so small. As he held the device tightly in his hand, he wondered if he could even manage to open it to determine how it worked. The entire thing was encased in a sleek black material, similar to plastic yet Artemis got the impression that it was sturdier in a way. Whatever material it was, it was capable of withstanding a hit from Butler without any damage.

“So…you’re really just going to sit around and wait for them?” Mulch looked around nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Like I said, they aren’t too pleased with me as of late…”

“Yeah, well it’s not like it’s without reason. If Durvaine taught us anything, it was that you are nothing but a lying thief.” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “I’m more concerned with what the heck that blue stuff is around us. I mean, doesn’t it look kinda creepy to you? You mentioned something about a time stop…but that just seems absurd…we’re all moving and acting, so it’s not like time can just stop flowing, right?”

Wendy nervously stood next to her, biting her lip. “Time magic is almost unheard of too…no one can just stop it.”

“Well, what about that chick from Tenrou Island? She said she used some kind of weird time magic…” Natsu scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

On the other side of Artemis, Gray seemed to narrow his eyes, focusing his gaze on the floor as he leaned his back against the counter behind him. “Ultear could use time magic…but there’s no way she did this. Trust me, this isn’t her.”

The doors to the guild opened, while Artemis let the wizards debate what was actually going on. All things considered, it really did not involve them. Normal guild wizards were nothing compared to what he was facing, and the main purpose of them being involved in a plan for fighting Zeref would be as a distraction. Truly stopping him had to come from something unexpected, something like the little camera he held in his palm. “Whatever you guys are going on about, you’re just wasting your breath. Fairies have a knack for technical stuff like this. The kid was right about what’s going on.” Mulch seemed to explain anyway, as Artemis rose to his feet with his mirrored sunglasses fit on his face. Butler requiped his own, placing them on his face and joining his charge. 

He expected to meet with whoever this leader was on his own, but it appeared as if that was not going to be the case. When he felt hair brush against his arm, he jerked away slightly, startled by the fact that his leaving was even noticed. Turning, he saw Mavis by his side, her expression serious and determined. It was a rather sudden change from her break down earlier over Mulch, and as Artemis stared at her, he saw an odd calculating look in her gaze. “You know what is going on. You know about Zeref. Perhaps not all fairies are what I expected them to be…but this is something I must face as well.”

Nodding, Artemis returned his focus to the air in front of him. If he focused hard enough, he could spot a slight shimmer there, though he could not actually see anything. “Welcome to Fairy Tail, Fairy. Now, while I am reasonable enough to know this would be uncomfortable for you, I would like to request that you drop your shield. It is rather irritating to have to attempt to spot a slight discrepancy in the air’s very appearance to look directly at you.”

There was a brief moment where nothing happened, but it did not last long. In an instant, a short elf with gray, buzzcut hair appeared, dressed in the same uniform Holly had been wearing when he retrieved her. “Alright, Fowl, I’m here and unarmed as per your agreement. Now, where’s my officer?”

“Wait…the dwarf works for him? I thought he said they were angry…” Mavis frowned, glancing towards Artemis with narrowed eyes. “You’ve encountered another fairy, haven’t you?”

Artemis kept his gaze on the fairy, ignoring Mavis’ question. “Beyond both of our reaches at the moment, I’m afraid.” Reaching inside his breast pocket, Artemis pulled out the small tracking device with a smile. “While I still have yet to determine how such a small device can be tracked, it was simple enough to deduce the function of this element of your helmets.”

In his other hand, the camera seemed to buzz at his words. Glancing down after feeling a slight vibration, Artemis frowned. “Alright, hold on a second. Are you telling me that you actually managed to pull apart her gear? Because there’s no way a mud boy could manage something like that.” The voice didn’t come from the elf in front of him, but rather from the device he was holding.

“What do you think you’re doing Foaly?” The commander, based on the acorns on his uniform, spoke with a slight growl in his voice. “You’re meant to listen and watch, not interrogate the boy about what he’s managed to figure out. I could care less if he smashed her helmet to pieces and managed to salvage one small speck of tech from it. When this is all done with, he’ll have forgotten about it anyway.”

“Perhaps, but I highly doubt it.” Artemis smiled, folding his hands behind his back. Meanwhile, Mavis was frowning, observing the way he carried himself by his side. “After all, wiping my memory currently would also erase any trace of knowledge I possess on Captain Short’s location.” The grimace on the commander’s face combined with his silence only confirmed Artemis’ suspicions. “Now, as we are being civil and conducting proper negotiations, I do believe introductions are in order. Through your own methods, you have clearly devised my name, but allow me to give it to you nonetheless. I am Artemis Fowl II, the first human to have successfully kidnapped one of the People.”

“And I’m Commander Root, the fairy that’s going to skin you alive for harming my captain.” To some, it would have come across as a sarcastic joke, but Artemis saw no hint of humor in his eyes. “Now, let me tell you how this is going to work, mud boy. Either you tell me where Holly is and you lose a small bit of your memories, or you don’t tell me where she is and you die. Plain and simple, we can’t allow exposure risks to continue on. It’s bad for us having you people always spying on us, trying to use our strengths to your advantage and hunting us down like monsters when we do something you just can’t seem to comprehend.”

“In all fairness, you seem to have the same issue with comprehension sometimes, Commander.” The voice from the camera spoke again, but grew silent when the short elf stepped forward with a menacing glare. 

Looking up towards Root, Artemis nodded. “I understand quite well, and I have no intention of revealing your kind to the public. The chaos that it would cause would not do anyone any good, not to mention the chance of true genocide should wizards fail to recognize your value.” The elf looked a bit startled, but still stood his ground. 

“Then that makes this easy. Now, just tell me what I want—“

“Actually, it is far from simple. Your officer will be returned, upon the completion of our alliance.” Having the man repeat himself was just a waste of time. Artemis watched as the commander’s face began to take on a red hue, blood rushing to his face as he stepped forward with his hand reaching towards his hip. Then, he seemed to pause as his hand felt nothing by his side, muttering something in some language Artemis had never heard before. It sounded something like D’Arvit, but Artemis wasn’t certain exactly what it meant. “See, there is a rather…disturbing dilemma beginning above ground, one which I feel would benefit us both to work on together.”

“There’s no wars going on anywhere near this continent kid, nor do we have records of any kind of economic problems within Fiore.” That voice seemed to be the mind behind the operation, despite the fact that Root was in charge. “You’ve got no problems, and even if you did, it’s not like we’d help someone threatening one of our own to get our aid. I mean, what kind of logic is that anyway?”

“One which must be used in our situation. I am well aware of the tensions between our kinds. If I had attempted to make contact simply through speaking, no one would have listened, and as Commander has repeatedly stated, I would have no recollection of making contact.” This time, the Commander backed down slightly, looking away. “This got your attention, and now I have ample time to speak with you and come to an agreement we both can accept. After all, do your time stops not have the ability to last for six hours? From what I saw coming in, there were three lacrimas in use to power it, and each lacrima adds another two hours, based on the amount of energy stored within an average lacrima and my own hypothetical energy requirement given after making a theoretical structure of the full variation of a time stop that a wizard could utilize.”

Root merely nodded, but Artemis began to wonder how much of that he had truly picked up on. Meanwhile, the voice from the camera seemed to take on an awed tone. “Are you sure you’re just a mud boy? Seriously, since when do humans figure out that much at your age?” There was a pause, then a slight chuckle over the line. “I think we may have underestimated you, Fowl. The name’s Foaly, and I’m the tech wizard of the LEP. That camera you’re holding? Designed by me. The tracker, along with the helmet it was inside of? Also made by me.”

Finally, someone intelligent to work with. The realization made Artemis smile, practically dismissing the commander in favor of Foaly. However, he still understood that the elf was the one in charge, so he didn’t ignore the man completely. “Foaly, I told you to back off!”

“Like your methods are working. Sorry, but I’d rather get Holly back as soon as possible. She was supposed to help me plan out my first date with Caballine.” 

The commander scowled in response, muttering under his breath as he shook his head. “Fine, but you better not be wrong about this kid.” Glancing towards Artemis, Root seemed to narrow his eyes. “So, what do you got for me? Some thief bothering your family? Genetic disease you can’t seem to get rid of?”

“He’s…he’s a fairy too, right?” Mavis seemed distracted, frowning at Root. Artemis found it hard to ignore her as the girl began inspecting the commander from every angle. “He’s already far better than the last…did you see the way he just appeared from thin air? Not to mention the voice coming from no where…there’s not even a lacrima to channel it! Maybe fairies really are magical like I first thought. They can do so many amazing things! Can you get him to show me something else, please?” Mavis seemed to move to stand in front of Artemis, her green eyes pleading as the young genius sighed and shook his head.

Even with Mavis blocking his view, Artemis tried to keep his gaze directed towards where Root stood. “No, nothing so simple as that. If that were the case, I’d have investigated healing magic before turning to mythical beings hypothesized to exist by mankind. Fairies, while absurd at first, have too many consistencies in lore to be written off completely. Some basis had to exist for the legends for that to be the case…not to mention the riddles of a man that has been one of the first to push me towards a false conclusion.” Really, Zeref was smarter than Artemis first thought. He had believed the man to be rather careless, with how easily he had agreed to become a prisoner, but the more Artemis spoke with the man, the more intelligence he saw. There was something in his patience that alarmed him, making him realize he truly had no reason to care if he waited or not for his war.

“Artemis, I do think they’d appreciate you getting to the point.” Butler spoke by his side, reminding Artemis that he was quickly getting off topic. Meanwhile, Mavis was pouting over being ignored.

“Hey! Come on, just because they don’t see me doesn’t mean you can’t. Ask them to fly, please? Or…maybe can you get him to answer my question? Are there any fairies with tails? I mean…the one you called a dwarf doesn’t have one…but he said dragons were a type of fairy, right? And they had tails.”

Taking Butler’s advice over Mavis’, Artemis began to wonder why he had even begun to see some form of studious focus in her before this conversation began. He’d have to work on his deduction abilities following observations of facial expressions. “Right. Sorry, old friend, it is easy to lost track of time with these things.” Artemis smiled at Root, folding his hands behind his back. “Based on the fact that you are aware of my name, I am more than certain the People have heard of the black wizard Zeref, correct?”

There was a snort from Foaly at that. “The freak that tried to bring his brother back to life? However he died back then was too good for him. Mud men never know when to stop with their magical toys, treating it like a game rather than the dangerous power it is.”

Tilting his head, Artemis tried to think back to anything Zeref had said that would indicate he had attempted such a thing. Considering he gave life to demons, it wouldn’t surprise him if he knew of a method of imbuing dead bodies with life as well. Meanwhile, Mavis had grown quiet, her smile vanishing with mentions of Zeref once more. “That is him.” Her voice was soft, almost distant. Artemis raised an eyebrow at her, but decided to take her word about the matter for now. Clearly, Zeref had some form of history with Fairy Tail’s founder.

“Indeed. Though, I can assure you he is far from deceased like history claims him to be.”

Root seemed to stiffen at that, his gaze locking on Artemis’ blue eyes. “Zeref was alive found hundred years ago…if he’s still around now, then that means—“

“Already on it. Running a search, facial recognition from the cameras searching for any match to our old records…” There was a pause from Foaly, making Artemis wonder what he was finding. “This…uh, sir? I think…and you can feel free to correct me on this, but I think I found something. No sightings of Zeref, but I do have something else that shouldn’t be around.”

“Just spit it out already. I don’t have time for your games, centaur.”

Mavis was already standing stiffly, her head levelly gazing at them. “I may not know what form of records they have, but I am almost certain I know what it is they’ve found.” Turning around, she seemed to focus on Natsu who was still arguing with Mulch at the bar counter with his team. “Lucy, Gray! Whatever it takes, get Natsu out of here immediately.”

Once again, a story relating to Zeref somehow managed to link back to the dragon slayer. However, this time, Artemis had more clues. Zeref made demons, and he seemed to hint that END had some form of connection to this wizard. Not only that, but he had been researching resurrection and he held Natsu in some form of high regard. “Natsu…Natsu is his brother. Zeref truly did bring the dead back to life…but…why are his records not known?” Mankind would remember something like that.

“Mud boy’s right, Commander.” Root only scowled, reaching into the pocket of his suit and pulling out an odd looking cigar. When he ignited it, Artemis frowned at the odd odor it produced, not quite like normal smoke but still foul nonetheless.

After sucking on his cigar for a moment, Root pulled it from his mouth with a sigh. “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s back…and here I was thinking someone got rid of that blasted thing after the epidemic eight hundred years ago.”

“Eight hundred…?” Mavis frowned, glancing towards them. “Zeref has only been alive for four centuries. They know something…they observed him attempting to bring Natsu back to life, but lost track of his movements before he succeeded…” Mavis trailed off, narrowing her eyes. “The curse. They don’t know of Zeref and his actions, but they know the details of the curse, and where it came from.”

That was a promising start. Artemis smiled, nodding towards her. “And with that, I do believe it is time to inform them of his plans. You see, Zeref informed me that he planned to destroy the world as we know it…and based on the death magic I have witnessed from him, I believe he is quite capable of such a thing. Now, with the technology you posses, I am confident that you have determined some form of method of blocking it. After all, it seems to be a magical variation of the bio-bomb, based on my own studies of his magic and the operations of your own weapon.”

There was a pause, with Root glancing away. “Sounds about right.”

“Yeah…see, the bio-bomb…it was kinda designed after that magic.” Foaly seemed to sigh, and when the camera began moving, Artemis released it and let the centaur fly it towards the commander. “You want me to explain? If we go any further, it means we’re actually taking the kid up on his agreement, you know.”

“Do we have any choice?” Root seemed to take another inhalation of whatever he was smoking, shaking his head. “A repeat of that event…please tell me we don’t have any other cases at least.”

“None that I’m seeing…Zeref was the last one we were watching from that batch, and with the epidemic that killed those prodigal wizards found hundred years ago, anyone that even had an inkling on that kind of magic went with it. Not to mention the war with the dragons…” He trailed off, and Root almost hung his head reverently at the words. They were still mourning, Artemis realized. Then again, it was likely more of a loss to them than it was to most wizards. 

“Alright, it looks like you get your wish then kid. But, under one condition. We get Holly back before we make any kind of action against Zeref, as a show of good faith. To show that we’re backing up our end of the bargain, I suggest you take a seat and listen to a story about ancient history.” Root claimed one of the tables in the guild hall, while Natsu and his team approached in confusion based on Mavis’ earlier command. They stared at the new fairy with frowns, while Root nodded towards the camera flying by his head. “Start talking, Foaly. Speaking in tongues is giving me a headache, and I’d rather leave the details to the one who has them sitting in front of him.”

“Like you don’t know them. Any fairy alive knows about this.” Foaly seemed to let out a deep breath, while the wizards remained silent. Mavis nodded towards them, standing tense but not making any moves to order them further. “Well, you see, eight hundred years ago, an event dubbed as the Apocalyptic Rebirth destroyed nearly all life on the planet. And what started it all? Well, that was the Black Curse…the curse you mud men decided to call the Curse of Contradictions, handed down by the gods themselves.”


	26. Apocalyptic Rebirth

“Sounds to me like you’re talking about picking a fight with a god. If you are, then there’s no way I’m just running out of here!” Natsu grinned at them, taking his own seat at the table before Foaly could continue. “Seriously, Mavis, what makes you think I need to get out of here?”

The commander eyed Natsu warily, with a frown on his face. “If you’re joining, then you better shut up and listen.” Next to him, Mulch approached with a slight wave.

“Hey, Julius, how’ve you been?” There was a mild nervousness in his tone, despite the smile on the dwarf’s face.

Leaning towards him, Root shrugged. “Fine, but you know better than to call me by my name, reprobate. I got a nice comfy cell ready for you when we’re finished here.”

“Aww, you flatter me. Don’t tell me you still plan on putting me back there, not after I found out that there’re still dragon slayers around.”

“What—the curse, and slayers? Foaly, remind me again why we’re still pouring funds into your department?”

The centaur took a moment to reply. “The dragon slayers…not certain about that one, Commander. Based on my accounts, all that remained of the dragons were a few lacrimas imbued with their magic. So, the most any wizard could accomplish is a remedial variation on it, nothing that would get even close to having the concerning side-effects we’d need to watch out for.” He paused for a moment, the camera buzzing near Natsu. “Though…this one may be concerning. Amazing, actually, is a better term. Can you believe what he pulled off? All of our records list such a successful variation on resurrection impossible…but he seems sane enough.”

“Sane? Why the hell wouldn’t he be?” Gray glared at them, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because dying and coming back damages the soul. Resurrection magic is banned for a reason, and in the past, when it was successfully done, the ones brought back were deranged, attacking almost anything that crossed their path.” Root explained, shaking his head. “But like I said, that’s a story for Foaly to tell. Ancient history, and while I may be old, I’m not that old.”

“Right, right. So…to start, I’m probably going to give you some background information. See, about a millennium ago, wizards were really just starting off. The People, or fairies as some like to call us, actually still lived above ground. Granted, there were still tensions, we argued, some of us were beginning to feel the need to separate…but we were still there.” Foaly paused for a moment. “Really, I don’t think anyone knows who first started the whole thing. Back then, people were religious nuts. The People called them crazy. After all, can we not give rules and laws that are always constant about how the world acts? Science explains it all…or so we thought.”

“Well…it only makes sense that gods exist.” Wendy saw the rest of her team blink at her in surprise. “I mean, Chelia is a god slayer…and if we were trained by dragons, doesn’t it make sense that for a god slayer to exist, gods must be real too?”

“So that was what he was referring to…” Artemis sat down and folded his fingers together in his lap. “I do believe they exist. Zeref himself claimed I would not believe in the existence of that which cursed him…and I am one who holds strong belief in the laws that dictate nature.”

“And breaking those very rules is what resulted in Zeref’s curse.” Mavis replied, staring down at her feet. Noticing they were bare, Artemis considered saying something before stopping himself. It wasn’t as if she was truly alive, after all, no matter how she seemed.   
“In mine as well, I suppose.” There was a pause between her first response and the second as she glanced away, her green eyes narrowing.

“Yeah, we’ve pretty much boiled it down to the gods only act when someone screws up those laws.” Foaly continued his explanation, while Artemis nodded. “Anyway, it started off kinda slow. Maybe it was just one person, maybe they worked as a group, but either way…rumors spread about humans with powerful death magic. People were terrified of them, describing the magic with nothing more than the color it created, labeling it as black magic.”

“Isn’t that a broad term, though?” Erza frowned, placing a hand on her chin. “I had always assumed black magic referred to any power dealing with death, be it causing it or undoing it.”

“In essence, you are correct. However…as he is speaking to the curse, I believe this is where the name came from. Its death magic takes on the form of a wide-spread black cloud, spiraling much like a vortex as it expands and takes shape.” Artemis saw Root sputter at that, barely catching his cigar before it fell.

“You’ve seen it? What the hell have you been up to?”

“Studying the captured black wizard, among other things.” He leaned back in his seat with a smile. “I did not come to you until I saw it as absolutely necessary, Commander. There are certain risks involved, especially with my father returned. Not to mention the fact that we’ve successfully ensured peace between our two races for four hundred years simply by remaining ignorant of your existence.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re smart and figured out our secrets. Don’t think I’m not going to ask you about how you did that later on, boy. We may have bigger problems now, but I’ve got a mind wipe waiting for you and your friends when this is over with.”

Nodding towards Root, Artemis glanced back towards the camera, hearing a slight clearing of Foaly’s throat to get attention back. “As I was saying…the curse began to spread. Mankind feared death, and once the People realized that they were trying to create their resurrection magic based on our own healing…we tried to separate ourselves from them. They were starting to realize what it was causing, that resurrection would create the curse, but no one actually stopped. Some thought the price was worth it. Others thought it was just some stupid rumor.”

“After about two centuries, the People were terrified. That black magic was too strong, and we couldn’t create anything that would counter it. In fact, we had nothing even close to that kind of power at the time. We thought mankind was going to kill us off, along with the planet and themselves in one blow. All living creatures reached a new low in survival rates. I’m fairly certain a few species went extinct too. The world itself turned into a blackened dead landscape…and with how few of us there were left, we fled. However, we kept watching. We live in this world too, right? So that meant we had our own reasons to worry over what humans were doing to it.”

“Some of the fairy races disagreed with running from the curse, mainly the dragons and demons, but they kept themselves hidden anyway. As for mankind….things got far worse. About half the population had the curse, some older than others. I’m fairly certain quite a few of them had been the same wizards that started it all a few hundred years prior…but that isn’t the worst bit of it.”

“Wait…you’re telling me a massive group of wizards with death magic killing the world wasn’t the worst part?” Lucy looked stunned, while Artemis frowned and tried to think of what it could be before Foaly revealed it.

Just as he was beginning to theorize, Foaly continued on. “See, resurrection goes against the natural life cycle of our soul. To pull it back so harshly from whatever existence we lead after this one…well, as we said before, there wasn’t a single sane resurrected being on the planet. And there were quite a few of them, too. I know Root said they all got pretty violent, but that was just one segment of them. Depending on the variation of resurrection used, some lacked the ability to think for themselves, others lacked emotions, some were too emotionally unstable to act…it was just chaos. By then, we’d started monitoring resurrection attempts. The People knew better than to use them, but mankind was still trying. So, we watched, and when someone got too close to a successful spell, we’d intervene. The LEP actually was founded to do just that…later staying in place to maintain peace and be somewhat of a law enforcement body…but they started out hunting down potential curse victims.”

It made sense, in a way. With how the LEP handled things above ground, it only made sense that they had begun doing the same. “Then, we found the worst one yet. A resurrection spell meant to span the entire planet…at the cost of the caster’s own life. The man, a wizard by the name of Omar, had already lost everything. In fact, mankind itself was nearing extinction because of all the rampant death magic that hardly anyone seemed to be capable of controlling. Omar believed that his spell could save them…that if he brought all of the dead back to life, they could start over again and stop the cursed wizards. We sent out a team to prevent his spell…but they arrived too late.”

“Omar didn’t die.” Mavis spoke quietly, while Artemis turned towards her with a frown. Since Natsu had already spoken to her earlier, Artemis decided there was little harm in addressing her now.

“And what makes you so sure of that?”

“Ankhseram wouldn’t have allowed it. Omar would need to be punished…and as immortality is part of the curse, it is actually quite possible for that to have occurred.”

Before Foaly could respond as well to the question, Artemis straightened his tie and turned back towards the fairies with a nod. “Ah, sorry about that. Fairy Tail has introduced me to a rather unusual member that can only be seen if you bear their guild mark.” Artemis showed them the back of his hand with a frown. “While I am not part of this guild, she wished to speak to me for a time and gave me the mark.”

“Huh. What kind of stupid magic is that?” Root’s harsh words made Mavis flinch slightly. 

“If he’s talking to her, she is right here, Commander.” Foaly at least was kinder about it. “And based on my previous scan…I’m inclined to say something along the lines of illusion and thought projection. Kinda odd that only Fairy Tail can see her, but that’s not what we’re looking into now. The curse…or more accurately, the Apocalyptic rebirth.” The contradiction in the name had once confused Artemis, but it made far more sense now. “So, you can already imagine what Earthland was like after that. War, bloodshed, death…we were all going to die. Then…as we were underground, we were the only ones who saw it. The only ones who could even live on to remember it. It was as if someone had coated the entire surface of the planet in a brilliant white light. Everyone, people, plants, animals…they were sucked into the spell, far more powerful than any I’d seen. It blinded my cameras, and for a moment, I thought they’d all broken somehow.”

“When the magic faded away…little remained. Sure, there were a few survivors from that massive spell…but it was as if the others had just vanished from sight entirely, disintegrating into nothing. Even more baffling…is the fact that everyone killed was either a resurrected individual, or a cursed one. Those untouched were left alive…to cary on the warning of Ankhseram’s wrath to future generations. Just knowing the risks kept mankind away from it for a while….but that event had made some dragons wary of humans. Arguments and debates began amongst themselves over how to act. It wasn’t as if they could move underground like we could. Some wanted to try and join the Demons in their…ah, hiding spot.” Artemis had already seen that they were trapped on an island sealed out of time, so Foaly’s attempt at hiding it really was useless. “Others wanted to leave things be, and others wanted to fight for control. In the end, this debate was what led to the war…and to mankind looking into resurrection yet again with more death filling their lives.”

“But no one got anywhere near succeeding. Notes and records of resurrection had been taken by the LEP, so they were starting from scratch. Those that neared anything useful were warned off by their mentors who had heard stories of Anksheram from their ancestors.” Root continued for him for a moment, nodding back towards the camera for Foaly to continue.

“We thought that’s what happened to Zeref…after he received his warning, we saw him looking into time magic instead. While still risky, we have yet to see evidence of widespread curses coming as a result of that…so we left him alone and moved on. It’s not like our resources are unlimited, and if the kid had learned, it was pointless to keep watching.” He paused for a moment, the camera turning towards Natsu. “Still, before we left…we had managed to see who it was he was fighting hard to bring back. The pictures are still stored in our systems…images of a pink-haired boy, probably about three or four, trapped in a suspended state in some kind of lacrima. Now…call me crazy, but I’m fairly certain that Natsu looks identical to that kid.”

“Wait…you’re saying that I’m one of the crazy resurrected guys? But I never even died!” Natsu paused for a moment, glancing towards Happy. “I haven’t died, right?”

“No, you’re too strong for other wizards to get even close.” Happy glanced towards the others, seeing Root blink at him for a moment. “What do you think Charle?”

The white cat next to him focused on the fairies. “Isn’t it obvious? Since true resurrection had failed, that boy began looking to change the past to save him. Perhaps—“ Her words broke off, her eyes suddenly growing wide as she held her head. “What…this can’t be…how?”

The white cat was trembling, and the other wizards knelt by her side to watch her. “Did you have another premonition, Charle? What happened?”

“Talking cats…that see the future? Foaly?” Once again, Root seemed lost.

“They’re from Edolas, sir. Remember the hypothesized parallel dimension that explained the sudden appearance and disappearance of wizards, not to mention the lowering density of Ethernano in the atmosphere, when it is a self-replenishing lifeform that replicates itself faster than bacteria?” The commander nodded, but he still didn’t look pleased with the idea. “Though…it doesn’t look like she’s seeing anything good.”

Charle glanced over towards Artemis, her eyes wide as she nodded. “It wasn’t…because Artemis is right. We need to get out of whatever this spell is now and find Zeref before it is too late.” She seemed to hesitate, focusing on the young genius in particular. “I just saw our future…or at least, a glimpse of what may come. Zeref was there…and oddly, he was standing in front of a door that appeared to be attached to nothing. The land was dead, the city surrounding the ornately decorated massive door was in ruins…but Zeref still stood.” The exceed paused, glancing away and focusing her gaze on the table in front of them. “That’s not even the worst bit. It appears as if we were correct to distrust you, non-wizard. In front of the doorway by his side…I saw you, Artemis. And you were smiling, as if pleased to live in a world where nothing living remained.”


	27. Escape

Holly Short was getting sick of this place quick. The stupid mud boy had left her with little to go on, claiming the survival of a wizard who had supposedly died centuries ago. Not only that, but he had forced her to remain in this room. Searching inside, she had found little of use for her. There was a lacrima watching her in the corner, but even if she had enough magic to activate it, it wasn’t as if the People even used those for communication these days. For them, magic like that was dated since technology could give the same result with a lot less wasted energy. When magic was limited, it became crucial to save it for only the most vital of things like staying hidden and alive.

The food the kid had gotten for her wasn’t exactly her taste either. He had apologized for it, but there was no way she was going to let him off the hook so easily. Really, she could already imagine Root’s beet red face when he heard about Artemis’ odd logic to gain them as allies. He’d sooner blast the kid than agree to his terms. With that wonderful image in her mind, Holly picked out one of the few veggies on her tray of snacks, wishing the kid had at least taken the time to try and wash off the pesticides she could still taste lingering on the carrot. At least, she figured it was some kind of chemical of that nature. Mud men were always failing to see the usefulness of just letting nature take its course, ruining perfectly good soil with their chemical treatments to try and make plants grow faster.

Part of Holly wondered if the kid would try to contact her. Actually, it was probably more likely for Foaly to find her. The centaur’s cameras were definitely capable of communicating with her, and it wasn’t like Artemis Fowl would see that kind of a thing coming. He was just like the rest of the foolish humans, relying on magic and not realizing that there were far more efficient ways of getting the same result. She’d make sure that was his undoing, if she ever got out of here. While she did have her wings, she didn’t exactly have much to work with in terms of weapons. Still, being able to run was better than just being trapped. She just had to figure out a way to either get permission to leave, or get around a curse older than the Frond dynasty itself. 

Sighing, Holly shook her head at the thought and leaned back into the mattress of the bed in the room. This was exactly why she hated this. Being idle didn’t suit her at all. Her body was always in motion, even when she wasn’t working. It was just a part of who she was, and not doing anything made her feel useless. If she just had some way of convincing Artemis that keeping her here was going to be a disaster, she'd be free. To do that, however, she’d need to be able to contact him, or at the very least, get him to see what she was up to. Destroying his home would definitely burn off some of her excess energy, but it wasn't going to free her like she truly desired.

This was part of why Holly had settled for being idle for the time being. Reckless actions wouldn’t free her, even if it would help her blow off some of her anger. Instead, she tried to think of exactly how truthful Artemis’ theory was. Technically, it was possible. Fairies had records of that curse dating back nearly a thousand years ago. Considering it made people immortal, it wasn’t exactly difficult to imagine someone had managed to survive the day Ankhseram attacked and killed all of the people bearing his own curse.

Zeref, on the other hand, wasn’t that old. Foaly had jokingly suggested that he would be the first to crack the code and find the secret behind resurrection since the Apocalyptic Rebirth. Now, Holly was wondering if his joke had been correct. Foaly would have seen something, but that would have been before he had the ability to expand that far out. With the war with the dragons going on and the People arguing over if they should leave hiding to help or not, Foaly’s inventions weren’t exactly prime focus. Funds had been diverted towards weapon development and LEP training, with the expectation that they’d go topside to save their brethren. Unfortunately, things had been worse than imagined. When one of their messengers to the dragons returned covered in deep wounds, they realized there was more to the war than they thought. The dragons had attacked the People, claiming that it was their destiny to rule over the earth as the mightiest race alive. That had been the end of all attempts to reason with them and stop the war. Holly had heard that the dragons had been fighting amongst themselves, from her parents that had been alive during that time. People wanted to help, but it wasn’t like any of them could stand up against the race that bested the rest of the fairy race in magic and physical strength combined.

Letting the dragons die was one of the greatest regrets of the People. Some may have written them off in fear of the mindset of a few, but Holly had heard the legends of the greatest of their clans. Dragons like Igneel and Grandeeney had been known for their kindness to both mankind and fairies. From the stories she had heard growing up, Holly held them in reverent respect for their ability to not only tolerate mud men, but actually earn their respect and give it to them in return. There had been something awe-inspiring, hearing that the dragons had nearly managed to obtain that peaceful coexistence fairies had strived for before going underground. If only the rest of the People had helped, maybe things would have been different.

Sitting up, Holly frowned and stretched out her arms. Maybe she could spend some time keeping up her strength somehow. It wasn’t like she had anything else to do. Exercise was a requirement in her line of work, though she usually got it on the job. Beginning with a slight stretching of her limbs, Holly rose to her feet. She had been bending over slightly, leaning to touch her toes when she froze, sensing something unusual. There was magic in use here, powerful magic that she hadn’t felt before. Not only that, but it had not been here just seconds ago.

The energy faded quickly, but Holly was alert. Quietly, she pulled the door of her prison open and stood inside, trying to see or listen to anything going on. After all, not being able to leave didn’t mean she couldn’t try and see what Fowl was up to. However, that ominous aura returned just as she managed to glance out of the room, making her back stiffen slightly. This magic wasn’t right, not at all. Something about it made her body tingle, jarring with the small amount of energy already in her veins. 

Moving to get a view of the area down the hall, Holly tried to see anything. Really, seeing just a blank hallway wasn’t helpful at all. However, she managed to get a vantage point that just barely showed her the upper half of a collapsed woman with dark brown hair. She heard footsteps, and when they stopped, she could see someone kneeling down near her fallen form. “Ah, such a simple matter. Now, what will you do next, Artemis Fowl? I suspect you’ll fall right into my plans…my perfect pawn, with a mind capable of rivaling Mavis Vermillion herself. Infiltrate their guild…and bring me what I need to reject this world. Only then will you get her back…” He chuckled briefly, while Holly stared with wide eyes. The way he was talking, it almost made her think it just might be Zeref. Didn’t Artemis say that was who he was so concerned with?

Behind him, more footsteps came. This time, a younger girl stood near him, bowing her head to the dark wizard. “Lord Zeref, I’ve checked the outside grounds as requested. We appear to be isolated in this region, far away from any civilization.” Well, that was something. If this place was away from the public, a time stop should be a simple thing to get set up. Even if Fowl took the tracker with him, Foaly would find this place no problem. People didn’t just build mansions like this one without some kind of record, and if a record of something existed, Foaly would be able to find it in seconds.

“I see. So, it appears as if he has left.” Zeref rose, glancing around with a frown. “Odd. I still sense someone’s magic within…I had assumed it was his, but it feels…different.”

“Do you wish for me to investigate further?” 

Zeref glanced back down at the body, shaking his head after a moment. “I shall do so myself. First, I must preserve my bait. After all, Fowl will not be interested unless I can truly offer him his reward.” 

This time, the magic didn’t feel quite so sickening. It was an odd glow coming from his hands, a faint white light emanating from his grip and spreading out towards what little of the body Holly could see. It fanned over her, creating a form that made Holly think of a cocoon, wrapping her body and hiding it from sight. When the light faded away, Holly gasped. Somehow, he had created an actual lacrima to encase her, using pure magic. She had never heard of a wizard doing something like that.

Upon hearing the noise, the girl’s head snapped in her direction. “Someone is near. I’m going to go—“

“Jade, that is enough.” Jade? The name seemed weird, but Holly didn’t question it. “You’ve just awoken. You do not know your power, nor have you engaged in battle before. There is little you can do until you gain experience.”

“Aww…but this body is built for fighting. I can feel it, Lord Zeref. I wanna fight like the masterful wizards that exist in this world, be stronger than any of them!” Jade looked almost pleading as her eyes widened and she pouted at him. “Just one try? It’ll just be for practice…I promise not to take things too far.”

“Perhaps your body is trained, but you must know how to utilize that strength with strategy as well.” Zeref sighed, glancing towards her. “Can you recall anything? Any memories of how to fight, of how your body formerly worked before you came to?”

The girl frowned, glancing towards the ground. “I…I don’t…I’m trying. Why do I feel like…like something’s wrong? Lord Zeref…my head…”

The man placed a hand on her shoulder, a faint smile on his face. “And this is why you must rest. Worry not over your lost memories…they are little in comparison to what you have gained, Jade. Be loyal and serve me, and I promise you, there will be much glory to come. You will surpass the wizards you look up to. I can grant you that power, if you have patience and learn to follow orders.”

The girl bowed again, a smile forming on her face. “Sure thing, Zeref. I’ve gotta say, I think I rather like how you run things.”

The black wizard nodded, his gaze turning towards where Holly stood. Backing away, the LEP captain began scanning the room for something to manage to get out of this. Her energy was too low to shield, and she had no weapons. What could she use? She spotted a toolbox sitting on one of the tables. Without hesitating, she moved towards it, reaching inside for anything that might be of use. Hard and heavy would at least be some kind of defense, even if it was nothing like having her neutrino ready to fire. However, as she dug through the box, she heard him again. “You’re not Artemis.”

Growing still, Holly hoped he’d just move on with that. However, the black wizard slowly entered the room, with the human girl standing behind him. “Searching for a weapon?” The man tilted his head, while Holly felt like a rock sunk into her stomach. If this really was Zeref, and Artemis was right, even if she found a weapon it’d be practically useless. Injuring a guy that could heal in seconds would hardly even be considered a delay. “I assure you, it would be a pointless waste of time to do so. Considering how much of it I’ve already wasted, I’d like to avoid such things again.”

Dropping her hands slowly back to her sides, Holly took a deep breath. She needed to at least be able to fake calmness, if she wanted to figure out a way to talk herself out of this one. Turning to face him, Holly glared into his red ringed eyes. However, as she saw the color, she blinked and couldn’t help but take a step back. “That’s…impossible. Ankhseram’s Mark only shows when you’ve—“

That made the man smile wider, interrupting before she could finish. “Gained control over the curse? Yes, I suppose that is the case. Though, hearing that makes me far more interested in you.” He frowned for a moment, studying her with narrowed eyes. “Then again, it was an interest in one who recognized my curse that lead me to this point. Do I truly wish to change again, all out of mere curiosity? Considering how close I am…I suppose I’d rather not take the risk. I am sorry for this, but to maintain my current mindset and move forward towards my goal…I have only one option.” He lifted his hand, and this time, Holly recognized the sickening magic aura for what it was. It was the curse, his death magic coming to life within him. “Fight if you wish, but I promise you, your death will come quickly.”

Next to Holly, the wings still leaned against the table. With the orb of death magic forming in Zeref’s palm, Holly knew she had few options. If she stuck around, he was right. She’d be dead in seconds. That was just how that magic worked. “Like you care. If you’ve got that kind of control, you aren’t really sorry for doing this.” She tried inching towards the wings with her words, hoping to keep him talking long enough to get them. Still, she couldn’t help but hesitate at the thought. Leaving would break Artemis’ orders. It would mean losing her magic. She’d never feel that zing in her veins again, but if she didn’t escape, she’d never feel anything again.

“Perhaps.” There was an odd smile on his face, though he still seemed intent on studying her. “Would you be inclined to offer me one last explanation before this ends? I find myself rather intrigued by your magic…it is unlike any aura I’ve sensed before.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to talk about, but she had few options left. “My magic doesn’t work like yours, mud man.” The habitual slur slipped from her mouth before she realized he might take offense. However, his only reaction was a slight furrowing of his brow. “You see…I’m not a wizard. My magic comes from nature and flows through my veins.”

Suddenly, Zeref’s eyes seemed to widen mildly. “Not a…but that’s impossible. Such creatures don’t…” He pressed a hand to his head, taking a step back with a grimace. “Mavis…did you meet Mavis?” 

It was such an absurd and random question that Holly didn’t know what to say. His head had lifted, and while the red was gone, there was an odd madness in the depths of his eyes. If she hadn’t seen his death magic, Holly may have assumed he was the one resurrected rather than the cursed one toying with the balance of life and death. “Can’t say that I’ve met a Mavis, but if I do, I’ll be sure to tell her you said hi.”

She grinned, slipping on the wings and preparing to leave. However, Zeref startled her by harshly grabbing her arm, dragging her away from the window. “No! Fowl lied…he broke our deal.” Something dark entered his gaze once more, and Holly saw the red beginning to return.

Tensing, she realized that he was just barely forgetting the value of life. Something she had said or done reminded him of what he valued for a brief moment. What was it, though? Instead, Holly tried to stall for time again, waiting to be released. She let out a slight snort, shaking her head at the black wizard. “Fowl? Like that kid can be trusted. He’s the idiot who thinks he can make friends by kidnapping them and holding them hostage.”

“We made a deal. You were supposed to meet Mavis once he found you…though I never believed he would have managed…” Zeref trailed off, touching his head again and slowly shaking it. “He will suffer. I will bring him more despair than he has ever known in this world…and then I will make him bring despair to the few he holds dear. He will stand by my side, and I will make sure he knows his place.”

This time, the red came back and stayed. There was no more glint of instability, no more madness in his eyes or rambling in his voice. There was only darkness and rage, enough rage to make Holly squirm to try and get away from his tight grip on her arm. “Do whatever you want to Fowl, that’s not my problem.” She tried to put on a brave face, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang at her own words. The People valued all living things, even the lives of mud men who had forced them underground. Telling Zeref to kill him went against her very nature, even if the kid had likely cost Holly her job and the life she had grown used to living.

“You nearly…” Zeref stared at her, slowly chuckling as he released her. “Impressive, fairy. I did not even realize what you were attempting to do…nearly making me forget my new purpose. I was correct to see the risk in letting you live.” 

“Yeah? I was just thinking the same thing about you. Pity neither of us are going to be able to make a difference about that.”

Zeref looked at her as if she were insane. “You think I cannot kill you? Aware of the curse…yet you think you are untouchable. I will show you wrong, fairy. I will show you the power of this spriggan and clip your wings before you ever learn to fly.”

Holly hadn’t heard that term in ages, not since it fell out of style nearly a century ago. It had been meant as an insult between young fairies in high school, akin to calling a girl or guy ugly. Why this guy labeled himself as such was a mystery, one which Holly spent no time dwelling on. Instead, she fired up the motor of her wings, seeing Zeref’s magic activate once more. He began to take aim towards her, but Holly leapt into the air at that moment, letting the wings carry her small form over his arm and towards the window. With a loud crash, she broke through and found herself airborne and outside of the manor that had held her captive.

At first, she felt fine. Holly began to wonder if she was wrong after all. Maybe the curse really had faded over time. Then, she felt it. A churning began in her stomach, and her arms began to tingle. The tingling grew stronger, almost becoming painful as she started feeling light-headed and dizzy. Instead of landing, she pushed the wings harder, forcing them to propel her further away from that place and Zeref. If she didn’t get far enough away, he’d find her again and she’d be magicless and dead. Her head began to pound, and her muscles began to scream in agony as she pushed herself through the pain. Gritting her teeth, Holly barely managed to muffle her groan as she faltered in the air, her body lowering slightly. Then, her stomach lurched completely. With that, she couldn’t stop herself from dropping the controls. She vomited what little bile was in her stomach as she careened towards the ground, actually blacking out before she collided with the trees and shrubbery awaiting her on the ground.


	28. Dark Premonition

Right now, Artemis was wondering why everyone assumed the talking cat had any credibility about his own future. “No way! Artemis might be a creep, but he’s not evil.” Lucy shot Artemis a slight scowl, before turning back towards Charle.

“Also, he seems to use a logical thought process much like Levy. I cannot seem to think of anything he could hope to gain from such an endeavor.” Erza backed her up, while Natsu scowled.

“Yeah? Well, I can see it,” Natsu said. Gray and Wendy turned towards the dragon slayer, who was glaring at Artemis. “He’s not a wizard. He’s got his own secrets…and he comes from a family of Grimoire Heart wizards. After what he did to Lucy, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear him getting into more crap like this.”

“Actually, the fact that he didn’t hurt Lucy makes me wonder if there’s something more to it.” Gray added in his own opinion, and this time, Artemis had enough. He began to clear his throat just as Happy walked closer to add his own suggestions to the matter.

“I guess you do have a point, Gray,” Happy said. Natsu glanced away, his chin burying itself into his scarf as he refused to make eye contact with others. “I mean, it’s not like Artemis did any of that for any reason other than what Natsu’s been doing the last few years. He’d do just about anything to get Igneel back…”

“Igneel?” Root dropped his cigar at that, leaning forward. “Don’t tell me…”

“You know Igneel?” Natsu’s head snapped up at that, a grin on his face. “Why didn’t you say so? I’ve been looking for him for ages.”

“Records do show that Igneel had taken on a student during the war, Commander. It’s not impossible for this to be the kid he trained…if time travel was somehow miraculously possible, that is.” Foaly spoke, while Artemis frowned and considered the matter.

After a brief pause, he slowly smiled. “Actually, that is the only explanation that would work under our current circumstances.” That made the others grow silent, though Charle and Natsu still looked suspicious of him. “Natsu is identical to Zeref’s brother, who existed centuries ago. Zeref became immortal back then as well…indicating his success in resurrection magic during that time period. Now, with the fact that dragon slayers all claim to be trained by dragons, and the knowledge that such a race is extinct…logic can only conclude that they somehow learned of it in the past, when dragons existed.”

“Wait…if you are saying that about all dragon slayers, then that means Wendy—“ 

Artemis cut Charle off, nodding. “Indeed. Any dragon slayer who learned from a dragon must have been alive four hundred years in the past, when dragons still existed. There is no other possibility…but that leaves the question, how does time travel work? Such an interesting concept…there’s the theory of the time stream being set in stone, claiming that any effect of time travel to the past would already be felt by the present, but there’s also—“

“As fascinating as it would be to discuss time travel theories with you, I’d say we have bigger issues.” Foaly interrupted, the camera buzzing in front of Artemis. “Whether you actually want to do so now or not, premonition magic has rarely been wrong in the past. When someone is born with that power, whatever vision they see always comes to pass. So, like it or not, you’re going to be standing by Zeref’s side at some point…and you’re going to be happy about it. Which means we’ve got a real problem, because I can’t see any reason for you to want that.”

Drumming his fingers on the table, Artemis frowned. Silence filled the room for a moment, before Wendy moved forward. “Um…we’ve worked to stop her visions in the past—“

“Shh.” Butler stopped her, holding her back. “Artemis is thinking. It is best to leave him alone during these moments.”

Frowning, Wendy nodded and stood back. Meanwhile, Mavis seemed to be making a similar expression by his side. After a moment, she looked towards Charle with a frown. “It matters little, what his reasons were. I cannot think of a way out of this…even with his help, our current strength is no match for Zeref’s army.”

“Army?” Gray’s eyes were wide, staring at her. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.. He’s the freaking black wizard, and he’s been lazing around Tenrou Island for who knows how long. There’s no way he’s got that much of a fighting force.”

“Dark wizards practically worship him as a god. Even if he did not attempt to create an army, Zeref simply has one by default.” Artemis spoke, turning towards Charle. “You mentioned a door, did you not? Was there anything unusual about it…anything of interest that may have explained what was going on?”

“I…I can’t say. I didn’t think it was important. After all, it was just a door to no where…I was too busy staring at the bodies…” She shuddered, her eyes looking haunted as Artemis nodded and rose to his feet.

“Either way, I’d say the cat has a point. We’re not going to get anywhere just standing around talking about this.” Root glanced towards Artemis with a frown. “Can we count on you to help for now, kid? This was your plan in the first place. Working with mud men…I can’t say I ever thought I’d see the day it’d come to this.”

“No.” Artemis interrupted, turning towards Root. “Ending the time stop now is useless. If you wish to conserve your unused power sources, I will not make you waste such a thing. However…we have no plan, unless your kind has already foreseen the return of this curse?”

There was a pause as Root glanced towards Foaly’s camera. After a moment, the centaur replied. “We expected it to happen one day…but research has been slow. Working against the gods themselves? Not exactly an easy task…so as much as I’d like to say we’ve got a magical cure for him, we’re pretty much done for. The most we managed to come up with was a containment unit, and that’d be just torturing the guy more than he already has suffered.”

Pausing for another moment, Artemis stared down at the table, lost in thought. “And to clarify matters, the intention is that after Zeref is dealt with, you plan on wiping my mind?” 

Root nodded, sighing at him. “I know you don’t like the sound of it, but that’s how we operate. The same will be done for your wizard friends too, so it’s not like we’re just picking you out of everyone.”

“So that’s why no one has recorded seeing a fairy!” Mavis smiled brightly. “I might have actually met one before then…” She frowned, studying the others for a moment.

“And based on what I’ve witnessed thus far, your thought projection form nullifies your own curse, correct?” Artemis turned towards her at this one, watching as the girl nodded. Root frowned at him again, glancing at the spot where Mavis stood.

Mavis’ eyes did turn downward as well, the light dimming slightly in them. “It’s…more complex than that. Simply forcing Zeref to utilize a body of this form would not work. It would just unleash his death magic in two places at once.” She lifted her gaze, meeting Artemis’ blue eyes. “The reason mine is inactive…is because I am technically both dead and alive at the same time.”

“And I can assume that such a state cannot be easily replicated?”

“Yes. What caused this…the shortened version is that long ago, Zeref taught me how to use black magic to save my friends.” She stared down at her hands, looking distant as she thought about her past. “Using a forbidden death magic spell, I found myself cursed…just as he was. Zeref believed my immortality made me immune to the death magic given off by the curse…and before I died, he claimed to love me.” Her voice grew quiet, barely a whisper. Artemis already could see where this was going, having witnessed Zeref’s torn expression when speaking about showing her a fairy. “By loving me, he created the ultimate contradiction. I was immortal, supposed to be impossible to kill…but because he loved me, I had to die. My real body has been trapped in a suspended state between both for a very long time now as a result…and this form is all I can manage to interact with the world.”

“That’s horrible! Why didn’t you say anything before?” Wendy looked ready to cry over Mavis’ plight. However, Artemis didn’t have time to sympathize with the girl.

His gaze turned towards Root, shifting his weight slightly. “Since you have every intention of wiping my mind, do you have any qualms about explaining some of your own technology to me? It could be useful to understand what may or may not pose a risk to the black wizard.”

“What kind of a plan are you even making?” Root frowned at him, leaning forward.

Smiling towards him, Artemis’ eyes began to have a slight sparkle as his thoughts began to solidify his first move. “A plan that begins with me smiling in front of a doorway, with Zeref by my side. If it is impossible to avoid such a future, then perhaps I can utilize this vision to my advantage.” Glancing towards Mavis, Artemis nodded, watching the girl focus on him for a moment. “As for you…will you be able to focus on this task, or are you too close to Zeref to manage it?”

“I’ve known this was coming for a long time.” Mavis glanced towards the fairies, smiling very faintly. “He’s always had that darkness in him. I’ve watched the curse slowly eat away at his very mind…contradictions swallowing him alive. He told me that he knew what would happen one day as a result…and once I died, I knew how he would achieve that goal. What Zeref is after resides within Fairy Tail. I cannot tell you any details of what it is, or why he wants it, but that much I can say. Plan to keep this guild hall out of his hands, Artemis Fowl. I will do everything in my power to do the same, to keep my family safe from harm, no matter who threatens them.”

“What I’d like to know is what this chick you keep talking to is saying, Fowl. Mind explaining what kind of a plan she’s helping you with?” Root looked irritated, making Artemis nod, tracing the mark on the back of his hand. It still felt odd, bearing the mark of a guild. He had never planned to join one, nor did he expect to be welcome inside of a legal guild.

Meeting Root’s gaze, Artemis smiled. “Oh, that is rather simple. You see, Mavis once suffered from this curse as well. However, unlike Zeref, her curse is no longer active…because the two of them discovered that the immortality from the curse is weaker than the death magic it emits.”

There was a moment where no one spoke, until Foaly finally chimed back in. “She…she died?” There was another pause, then Foaly continued on. “Huh. I’m taking a guess that you’re interested in the schematics for our bio-bomb, aren’t you?” Artemis smiled, nodding slightly. “Well, I think it just may be in our best interests to share them with you. Because…I don’t think that girl is really dead. What you’re saying…Root, I think I know what my sensors were picking up earlier. That spell, the inactive one that we couldn’t—“

“Stop! Don’t let him reveal what it is, please!” Mavis’ eyes pleaded with Fairy Tail’s wizards, and finally landing on Artemis’ with the same look.

With a sigh, Artemis nodded. He hated not knowing, but there were some things that just may be best to keep secret from others. “Mavis is aware of what you’ve discovered Foaly. She has requested that it remain private…based on our earlier conversation, my assumption is that whatever this spell is, it is what Zeref wants from Fairy Tail.”

“The…the darkness that resides in fairies…” Lucy spoke, and Artemis recognized what she was recalling. “Is this spell what he was talking about?”

Mavis nodded grimly, gazing at Root and the camera floating by his side with a determined expression. “We won’t let it come to light. No one will take it from us…Fairy Tail’s greatest spell, one that only guild masters know of.”

“Then let me just ask this Mavis one thing about it.” Foaly spoke, while Artemis nodded. He didn’t mind speaking for the girl who could not be seen, at least not for now. “Is it somehow connected to your real body?”

Mavis curled her toes on the floor, staring downward and avoiding their gaze. After a moment, she took a deep breath and glanced back up. “Thinking about it further…perhaps it is pointless to try and keep it hidden. We are fighting this war together, protecting something you cannot even name…for proper motivation, you need to know what you are fighting against. Your feelings will not be strong enough otherwise.”

She truly put far more weight to emotions than Artemis did. However, she still had that same determined look, one that made her seem like a general hosting a tactical meeting for his army. “The spell is called Fairy Heart…and to put it simply, it is my real body. Due to the combination of the curse and the preservation spells my former guild members used to keep it as close to living as possible, the amount of energy it was able to absorb increased exponentially…to the point where nothing can surpass it. In the simplest of terms…my body is an endless source of magical energy, able to generate it on its own without absorbing ethernano from the surrounding air. If Zeref obtains it, he will be able to cast any spell he desires.”

That wasn’t quite what he was expecting, but he could see what use Zeref had for it. Energy was required for anything, so Fairy Heart would be needed to finish his plans for destroying the world. Seeing the fairies still waiting for an answer, Artemis sighed. “She explained what it was instead. Yes, it is connected to her body…and in essence, she claims her body is an endless source of magical energy.”

“That’s what I thought. It made no sense on my scanners…but it’s not like we’ve heard of something like this before. Figured a combination of those two magics would do something unusual.” Foaly may have assumed correctly, but Artemis now was thinking about Charle’s vision. She had claimed everyone was dead and the city was destroyed, except for a single door. So what did the door go towards? Glancing towards the girl holding the white cat, Artemis began to smile. Perhaps he did have an inkling of what it could do, if given enough power. It was time to get to work on figuring out how to work that to his advantage, before Zeref arrived to claim Fairy Heart.


	29. Consequences

When Holly came to, she was still collapsed on the ground. She coughed slightly, still feeling a lingering nausea as she sat up and glanced around. It looked like she had managed to crash land into a tree, providing her with a little bit of cover away from the road that traveled to the mansion. However, there weren’t a lot of them around. While it was a bit more natural than the city, Holly could tell that man had done enough attempts to try and clear away some of the natural foliage that would have grown in the area. It looked almost like a grassy field, with a few random trees in places. In the distance, she could see a house, sitting amidst a field of crops. It didn’t look like anyone was around, though.

Flexing her body, Holly tried to figure out what kind of shape she was in. She knew almost immediately that she wouldn’t be using magic anytime again. Even at Artemis’ house, she had at least felt a few lingering sparks that would have allowed her to use the mesmer on the foolish mud boy who thought he could trap her. Now, there wasn’t even that. She felt cold, lost without the warmth of the magic in her veins. Plus, her muscles hurt, and there weren’t any sparks of magic left to heal her strained body from her reckless flight moments ago. However, she couldn’t say she didn’t get the results she wanted. The mansion was out of sight, and Zeref was no where near her. So long as that was true, she’d be fine with pretty much anything else.

“Ow, Gajeel! Why are you dragging me all the way out here? Our team is back in town!” A female voice startled Holly, interrupting her thoughts as she tried to think of what move to make next. She knew she had to keep moving, but she needed to be careful above ground. Glancing towards the voice, Holly tried to shrink back further against the tree, keeping her body hidden from whoever had to be coming.

“Well, you said you needed help, didn’t you shrimp?” The masculine voice responding was gruff and deep, almost condescending in an odd way. However, there was also a light-heartedness that made Holly doubt he was trying to insult the girl. “You’re good with books and crap, and if you don’t know how to handle it, then I figured we’d find someone who did.”

Their voices were getting closer, and Holly tried glancing around for an escape route. Into the sky was one, but that would expose her to them for long enough to be taken away again. The tree itself did some work, but she knew it wouldn’t work forever. “There’s no one out here, Gajeel! Honestly, if you weren’t going to take this job seriously, why did you even invite yourself along on our team?”

“Oi, I’m doing my part! I helped scare off that weird creature who tried to attack us. Plus, we got that weird book of yours out of it.” Weird creature? Holly had a sinking feeling, thinking back to Artemis Fowl. Likely, the same fairy that gave him the book had been found again. Someone was being careless, likely an exile who wasn’t allowed underground anymore due to reckless crimes. Even a fairy like that would still have their own copy of the Book.

“But we needed to capture her, Gajeel!” There was a loud sigh, while Holly smiled. At least this team wasn’t as bright as the child was. She’d be able to get away from this one, easy. “This book is written in a language I’ve never even seen before! It looks almost like Egyptian, but even if that were the case, the sentences it creates make no sense. We should be spending our time trying to figure out what I’m missing, not just trampling through the countryside because you thought you smelled something weird out here.”

“I said I smelled a person, got it?” Holly could hear footsteps now, making sweat bead on her skin. She was running out of time, and her best option was still to see if her wings had retained their function and take off. “Smells like Lucy’s room when she was taken. It’s probably the kid that gave Salamander a hard time back then.” It sounded like he was pleased with the idea, which made Holly shake her head. This was a violent mud man, likely searching for a fight. 

“The same…the one who kidnapped Lu-chan?” The girl sounded surprised by this, her voice hardening slightly afterwords. “Natsu said his name was Artemis Fowl. If…if we’re going to see him, we’ll have to have some sort of plan to convince him to help us. He did seem to be the kind of boy that could come up with some kind of solution to breaking the code on this book, at least from what Lucy told me after getting back. Still, she also said he was selfish and wouldn’t do anything for no reason.”

“Want me to give him a reason for ya? I’ve been itching to see just what bugged Salamander so much about one little kid.”

“No, we have to think this through, Gajeel. There’s no way we can reveal what we are actually searching for to Artemis.” There was a slight pause as the girl spoke. “Searching for fairies…if he even thinks there’s a chance of finding them, he stands to gain a lot more by discovering them himself than he does by just helping. We need him to believe that this is for something else, something small like decoding an ancient spell. That way, we will stop him from attempting to search for the fairies himself.”

How many mud men knew about them? This was beginning to sound like a sure-fire disaster for everyone underground. First, Fowl knew everything about their kind. Now, this girl was on the verge of the same. However, as Holly glanced towards the path she had come from, she couldn’t help but bite her lip. She had no magic, and she was up against a cursed wizard that wanted her dead. Not only that, but she had no way of communicating with her allies below ground, and no means to continue her escape without revealing what she was to the wider public of the world above ground. To put things simply, she needed allies, and she wasn’t going to find them easily.

“Fine, we’ll do this your way. But don’t blame me if this just becomes a waste of time.” Their footsteps stopped, but Holly had already made her decision. The girl had stated a desire to keep fairies hidden. Maybe having her know about the People wasn’t ideal, but it was better than letting herself die. This way, she would be able to keep an eye on these wizards, while saving her own skin and fleeing from the Fowl mansion.

Moving from her position, Holly turned to see just who she was up against. The male was rather large, but nothing when compared to Fowl’s bodyguard. He had a wild mane of black hair running down his back, and his face seemed to be filled with metal piercings. He wore a glare that almost looked habitual, and he was leaning against one more tree behind him. Sitting on the ground in the grass, a thin girl with short blue hair and an orange dress seemed to be frowning in concentration. “Now, if I were Artemis Fowl, what would I do? Well, for starters…I’d be willing to take a lot more risks with this job. I’d be willing to…” Her brainstorming broke off as Holly approached. Gajeel noticed her first, his eyes blinking at her while his head snapped towards her.

“What the hell?” He spoke, part of what got Levy’s attention in the first place. “You look funny.” His nostrils flared slightly, and he scowled. “And what’s with that weird smell?”

“Gajeel!” Levy grabbed his arm, jumping to her feet. In one of her hands, Holly saw a small leather-bound book, smaller than what most mud men would cary, though still plenty thick. “Don’t just judge her because of that.” She smiled, holding a hand out towards Holly. “I’m Levy. Sorry about my friend, he’s not exactly the nicest person.” She let out a slight laugh, while Holly slowly began to realize that neither of them even realized what she was. They knew fairies existed, but they couldn’t recognize one right in front of them.

Taking Levy’s hand, Holly smiled in return. “Holly Short. As for your friend, I smell ‘weird’ because I haven’t been around your polluted air so much. The term you’re probably looking for is ‘clean’” That made Gajeel narrow his eyes, sniffing the air again.

“Huh. Whatever.” He shrugged, glancing towards Levy. “Now get lost. We’re in the middle of something and don’t want to be bothered.”

“I heard about that.” Holly glanced over towards Levy, dropping her hand to her side. Reaching towards the straps of her wings, Holly began to pull them off to inspect the damage. It looked like the crash had managed to bend the left wing, with the right side wing being cracked from the bottom half-way up to the center. It seemed to dangle oddly as she moved it, and the exposed wiring made Holly sigh. “Useless now, I suppose.” She dropped them on the ground, stretching her shoulders slightly now that the weight of the wings was gone. “Anyway, I’ve got a bit of a solution that might help both of us. You see, I need to get into contact with some friends of mine. You need to understand a bit about that book. If you help me, I’ll answer a few of your questions.”

“It’s not that simple. This book isn’t written in a language people would really understand…” Levy trailed off, biting her lip. “But…I can’t exactly turn away someone who needs help, either. Why are you even out here anyway?”

That made Holly scowl, crossing her arms over her chest. “Much like this friend you spoke of, I was kidnapped by Artemis Fowl. Making matters worse, he forgot to mention that he had a lunatic trapped in his house as well, who broke free and tried to kill me.”

Snorting, Gajeel shook his head. “Of course Natsu left that out. Probably embarrassed that he lost to someone so weak.” With a smirk, Gajeel turned towards her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take out this lunatic for ya. My magic is more powerful than Salamander’s, and I’ll prove it to you.”

“Don’t bother. Trust me when I say no one can take on this guy and win.” Levy frowned at that, glancing towards the ground.

“It can’t be…Lu-chan said he actually liked being trapped.” Levy’s words made Holly glance away herself. 

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “Maybe he did for a while, but he changed his mind. If your friend saw him while she was there, she should consider herself lucky. Most people don’t survive encounters with cursed wizards like him.”

“Look…I may be able to find something about this wizard, if you think it’ll help. I even have a communication lacrima you can borrow, back at home.” Levy held out a hand. “If you want, I can take you there for now. It’s not like I can’t come back to this later. Besides, I’d really like to check out a few of my own sources to cross-reference as a guide to translating this book.”

“Wait, you wanna go back now?” Gajeel scowled, shaking his head. “What a waste. All this way for nothing.” He sighed, hanging his head. “You don’t think we’ve lost already, right? Mavis’ job to find a freaking fairy…what kind of a job is that anyway?”

“Wait…so you only want to find a fairy?” Holly stared at them, grinning. “You don’t want to even learn a thing about them?”

“Well…I wouldn’t say that.” Levy smiled, beginning to walk towards the direction she had come from. With no better plan, Holly followed. “All knowledge is worth having, and if there’s something magical in this world I know nothing about, I want to understand it. That’s why I read so much…why I love books and adventures. It just makes me feel proud to understand so much…to be able to use my knowledge to help my friends.”

There was a warmth in her voice, and as Holly stared at the blue haired girl, she saw an odd kindness in her eyes. She never expected a human to look so trustworthy, at least not to her. “Then why aren’t you asking her about her machine she left on the ground? Seemed pretty high-tech to me.”

Levy blushed slightly, looking away. “Because that would have been rude! It’s none of my business how Holly managed to…use whatever that was.”

“Wings.” Holly smiled, glancing over at both of them. “Contrary to popular human mythology, most fairies can’t actually fly.” Both wizards froze, staring at her with wide eyes. “What, were the pointed ears not enough to prove it to you? See, I wasn’t actually planning on revealing myself to you, but I think I rather like you, Levy. You’re okay, for a mud girl.”

“A…what kind of a fairy is this chick? This is just…” Gajeel seemed to have no words.

Meanwhile, Levy’s eyes seemed to be lighting up in amazement. “Amazing…fairies fly with…what was that even? There was no magic…it looked like some kind of cable, and the material was sturdy…but based on your size, I can only assume it is light-weight as well…” She trailed off, glancing towards where Holly had discarded her wings.

“If you want the details on how they’re made, you’ll have to ask Foaly, not me. I’m just the operator, not the creator.” Levy smiled, nodding as Holly began moving once more. “Anyway, to start with, I’m going to get a few things straight. Yes, I’m a fairy, an elf if you want to be specific.” She said this with a pointed look at Gajeel who huffed and avoided her gaze. “As for what I’ll talk about, well not much. Fairies are secretive for a reason and it is bad enough having Fowl know about my kind. As soon as I get in contact with the others, I’m leaving. You help me with that, and I’ll consider answering a limited amount of your questions. Heck, I may even agree to meet this Mavis you said sent you on this mission.”

“If Mavis knew I had met you, I think she’d be even more upset if I didn’t try to help.” Levy laughed slightly at that, shaking her head. “She has this thing about fairies…she’s always dreamed of meeting one. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if we can make that dream of hers come true, right?”

Holly nodded, smiling for a moment. Then, she felt the wind blow over her skin, making her shiver again. Once again, she was drawn to how empty she felt now. Magic was something fairies loved, no matter their race. Sure, sprites could hardly do anything with it since their magic focused on helping them fly, but even so they couldn’t stand being on the ground for long. Pixies used it for small tasks, elves were known for their healing magic, and she didn’t even want to get started on the demon race. No matter the race of fairy, magic was part of their life, even if it wasn’t nearly as powerful as the magic of a wizard. Relying solely on technology wouldn’t be enough in her line of work. Holly had no idea what kind of future she had left for her now. Was there even a position she could take with her experience? It wasn’t like she’d ever be allowed above ground again, not without the ability to shield.

With these worries on her mind, her smile quickly faded into a frown. Glancing back towards where she had flown from, a small rage began to build in her chest. “Yeah, we will. And in the process, I’ll make that mud boy pay for this.” If it wasn’t for Artemis Fowl, she’d still have her magic. If he had just taken a moment to think about Zeref and his potential, she would have been kept far away from the black wizard. However, part of her couldn’t help but wonder who would punish him first. The black wizard himself had seemed fairly angry, and she didn’t want to know what the result of that anger would be.

“You’ll have to get in line for that one.” Holly and Levy both glanced towards Gajeel, who was frowning towards the path they were taking. “Natsu seemed pretty pissed at the kid last I heard. He won’t do anything unless Fowl goes after Lucy again, but he’s always been protective of bunny girl.”

“You mentioned him before. Let me guess, some other wizard on this job to find a fairy?”

Levy nodded, rubbing the back of her head. “Yeah…he’s kinda reckless and impulsive. Still, he means well and he’s one of the best fighters we’ve got. Like Gajeel, Natsu is a dragon slayer.”

Suddenly, Holly wished she had her magic back. Without it, she couldn’t sense a thing about how interwoven the dragon’s magic was with this wizard. Gazing at him, she saw none of the physical signs yet. When the silence went on as she studied him for a bit too long, the iron dragon slayer leered back over at her. “You got a problem with dragon slayers or something? Stop staring, it’s creepy.”

“Dragons…were considered a race of fairies, at one point in time.” Holly sighed, shaking her head. “And if their mistakes taught us anything, it was why fairies and humans were never meant to mix. Bad things happen if you try and give a mud man fairy magic…so for that, I’m sorry. Because you clearly have no idea what you’re going to be going through, dragon slayer.”

There was a moment where Gajeel and Levy shared an odd look. Then, the blue haired wizard nodded and gave Holly a sad smile. “We know…we heard about it at the Grand Magic Games. Acnologia, he was once a dragon slayer too. That magic transforms a person into an actual dragons…but it takes years for that to actually happen.”

Holly wished she had more details. Technical stuff was Foaly’s expertise, and while she knew the basics, she didn’t know the fully details of how long it took for a dragon’s magic to overwhelm the mind and body of a wizard. The body always went first, taking on more dragon-like appearances before that energy ate away at the mind, making the dragon slayer grow unstable and violent. Some could manage to keep that instability at bay, but only if they had some kind of protection guarding their mind from deterioration.

Silence settled over their group for a moment as they continued walking. However, Holly couldn’t help but still feel like something was off about the area. She hadn’t exactly gotten far before passing out. So how long had she slept? Where was Zeref? As she worried over this, she realized that there was a reason for her uneasy feeling. “Ha! Found you, fairy girl.” A familiar female voice shouted out behind her. Spinning around, Holy spotted Jade charging forward, as if moving to tackle Holly to the ground.

The LEP captain moved to try and dodge, but she expected to at least take a partial hit. Her reaction time was down, and her body had yet to recover. However, Gajeel’s arm suddenly hardened, transforming into a metal beam that he shoved in front of her, taking Jade’s punch with ease. The girl flinched, pulling her hand back and glaring over at the dragon slayer. Meanwhile, Gajeel simply smirked back at her. “Oi, you got a problem with this fairy? Because I found her first, and I say she’s mine. We’re the ones getting that reward, and if it means taking on some weird girl like you, count me in.”


	30. Cursed Fate

Facing off against a mud girl was something Holly never expected to be a huge challenge. She knew her way around in a fight, and she had trained for situations much like this one. However, what her training did not prepare her for was being completely unarmed. She had no gun, not even something blunt and heavy to use against her foe. She had left the broken wings behind, which may have been the only useful tool against this girl. 

Jade was smiling widely at Gajeel, tilting her head slightly. “You know…I get the feeling that I knew you at some point. Well, I guess it really doesn’t matter now, does it?” She moved closer to him, adjusting her hand to grip his iron arm. Gajeel blinked at her, startled by her confident movements. “See…I’ve got a special little trick of my own.” With that, the girl yanked on Gajeel’s arm, startling the dragon slayer and making him stumble towards her. He glared at her, twisting his body to try and use the momentum to his advantage. However, Jade seemed to see that coming. She twirled around, light on her feet like Holly had suspected when she first saw this girl. Instead of Gajeel’s lunge letting him headbutt the girl in the gut, it sent him flying past her and stumbling towards the dirt. 

“Solid Script: Rope!” Levy stood ready to fight as well, startling Holly when the word rope actually appeared in the air, made of rope. It seemed to have fluidity when it moved, traveling towards Jade and changing form to wrap around her waist and bind her arms to her sides. “Gajeel, now!”

“Iron Dragon’s Club!” The man’s already hardened skin was sent towards Jade again, moving to collide with her side. The girl dropped to the ground at the sight, rolling away from his attack with speed.

“Is that all you’ve got?” She smirked, rising to her feet. Then, Holly noticed something that made her eyes widen. The rope was falling off of her arms, small pieces of it cut. “I’ve got my own special powers too, thanks to Zeref. Did you really think magic was the most powerful thing out there? Stupid humans.”

The way she spoke, it was as if she wasn’t human either. Holly moved forward, glancing towards Levy with a frown. “What else can that magic of yours make? I can fight, but I need a weapon.”

“If I can imagine it, I can make it. You have something specific in mind?”

Nodding, Holly glanced towards Jade with a frown. If a wizard had to imagine it, it limited her options. Still, a weapon was better than nothing, even if it was ancient in terms of what she was used to. “Something with range, a gun, bow, whatever you can manage.”

“Got it. It’ll…be a bit awkward, just so you know. My script magic has to use the actual letters of the word to form the object…” Holly nodded, seeing Jade move towards Gajeel again. He was a bit more prepared for her speed this time, raising his arms to block a flurry of punches from Jade. With his iron-hard skin, they barely phased the dragon slayer. However, the girl looked like she was enjoying the process, barely getting winded herself. “Solid Script: Hand gun!: 

The lettering was dark grey, giving it a metallic appearance. Holly saw she wasn’t kidding about how unusual it looked, either. The letters twisted and seemed to take on a three dimensional shape, almost trying to form cones and cylinders out of something meant to only exist on paper. The letters curved and bent, twisting to try and form a handle with the letter H at the beginning, using the rest of the words to extend and form the barrel of the gun. The a was a bit lower than the others, using the curve in the letter to form the trigger of the weapon. If it was actually built like a normal gun, it probably wouldn’t even be able to fire. However, this one was magic, which meant that no matter how ridiculous it was and no matter how it broke the laws of science, it would fire on that power alone.

Taking the weapon, Holly nodded her thanks towards the girl. “Nice work. Not quite what I’m used to, but I suppose that should be expected from a wizard.” Really, Levy had some talent with her creativity. Holly would never have been able to imagine this shape out of the letters of the word hand gun. Lifting it, she began to frown as she returned her attention to the fight. Something glinted at the end of the girl’s hair, and when she spun around as if to dodge one of Gajeel’s hits, her hair smacked into his cheek. The dragon slayer gasped, wincing slightly and bringing a hand to touch where the girl’s hair had hit.

Jade smirked, reaching back and showing off the end of her pony tail. “Like my little trinket? Most people wouldn’t even think to fight with their hair, but I made it work. I told Zeref I’d be good in a fight, but he insists I don’t have the training for this yet. So, what do you think? Am I doing good enough already?”

Intent was a lot of what changed magic. So, when Holly took aim, she focused on exactly what she wanted to fire at this girl. “You’re doing okay, for a mud girl. Though I have to ask, if you aren’t human, what are you?”

Jade smiled, her white teeth flashing. “Can’t say. Zeref would be mad for revealing his plans. He says I’m a secret, or at least, I will be until we see Arty again.” She frowned at that, tilting her head. “Artemis. I meant Artemis. Why did I call him Arty?” 

The loss of memory, added to her odd interests made Holly realize what was happening. “You…you were dead.” Jade tilted her head slightly, while Holly’s aim faltered somewhat. She had heard what the studies said about that kind of magic, but she had never witnessed it. Somehow, she expected an even greater instability, though. Jade looked rather calm and capable of reason, unlike what the texts said about people brought back to life. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious that this chick is alive, fairy. Why don’t you actually fire that gun of yours instead of just watching me do all the work?” Gajeel snapped at her, looking angry as he recovered from the last onslaught of attacks. He looked like he was getting ready to jump back in, but Holly was getting a better picture of what they were up against. It didn’t matter if they killed this girl, all things considered. Zeref would just bring her back again, meaning that she was just as immortal as him. Stopping her by going easy like Gajeel was doing was pointless.

Levy frowned at her, moving to stand by her side and nodding. “Gajeel is right. Maybe there is something off about her, but our focus should be on stopping her. You asked for a weapon, and now it is time for you to use it.”

Glancing down at the gun, Holly took a deep breath and nodded. Normally, she shot to stun. It went against her very nature to try and kill, but as far as delaying tactics went, it would be better to force Zeref to take the time to resurrect this girl again. That would take more time for him than just helping her recover from some mild injury. “Shoot if you want, it’s not like you’ll hurt me.” Jade seemed to smirk with that, holding her arms wide. “I’ve had my fun toying with you, but now I’ve gotta kill the fairy. That’s my orders, so if you wizards want to leave, I’m not going to stop you.” She tilted her head slightly, watching their reactions closely. “Jade Shield.” 

With those words, whatever power this girl had activated. Her skin seemed to transform, taking on an unnatural green color. However, as Holly studied it closer, she realized it was natural, just not skin. The girl’s entire skin was being replaced with jade, giving her a light green coloring as she smirked back at them. Holly didn’t even have to shoot to know that it was going to match Gajeel’s iron in strength, simply due to magical enhancement of the material’s composition. Seeing this, however, made Holly realize that it was probably what let her escape Levy’s ropes so easily. There was far less friction between jade and rope than there was between skin and rope, which allowed it to fall once the material changed.

With a shield like that, Holly would need a piercing shot to break through. Her magical gun should be able to manage it, since she could picture such a weapon unlike Levy. “Nice trick. Mind if I show you one of my own?” Holly took aim, pointing towards her chest. The head would still kill her, but if Jade tried to dodge, it was much harder to miss a shot to the body than it was to miss a shot to the head. Pulling the odd trigger, Holly let loose a blast of gunfire, sending three shots towards the girl in quick succession. Jade saw them coming, grinning and revealing she had far more speed than she let on before. Her body became a blur, charging Holly straight on as she raised her hand. However, Holly’s choice to aim towards her chest proved to be a good one. While it didn’t hit where she wanted, she saw one bullet pierce through the girl’s shoulder while the others flew past her. 

Jade blinked in surprise, stopping just inches away from holly. She stared at her shoulder, seeing red blood begin to flow down her jade-coated skin. “It went through…well, it seems like you really do know a few tricks.” She shook her head, glancing towards Holly. “It won’t save you in the end, though.”

“Iron Dragon’s Sword.” Gajeel came charging in from the side, taking advantage of Jade’s focus on Holly. He seemed to have taken Holly’s own strategy, his sword giving him more piercing power than his club. The weapon took form out of his left arm, the outer blades rotating around the weapon like a chainsaw. He sent it crashing down towards her arm, startling Jade and forcing her to jump back. “Looks like you aren’t invincible after all, gihi!” He was grinning, while Jade blinked down in surprise. He had just barely managed to knick the skin on her lower arm, just next to her wrist. More blood seemed to trail on the jade, standing out in contrast to the pale color.

Jade scowled, glaring back towards him. “Solid Script: Dart!” Levy joined in, her magic this time creating multiple of the very weapon she stated. The words seemed to make a conical shape, getting smaller the further into the word it got, finally forming a point with the right edge of the line crossing the t. The darts were sent flying towards Jade, who spun around quickly as if in a dance with the attack. Her quick motions showed her preparation for their tactics, and made Holly realize that even if she didn’t remember how she used to fight, it was so ingrained that it was practically instinctual for her.

“That is enough.” Another voice cut through, sending chills through Holly. Her body stiffened, glancing towards the silhouette approaching the fight. It looked like Zeref had caught up with his pawn, and he was narrowing his eyes at the battlefield before him. Gajeel seemed to attempt to ignore the warning, charging forward with his sword raised. However, Holly acted quickly to stop him. Taking aim with her weapon, she shot out a row of shots directly at the ground in front of him, startling the dragon slayer enough to make him halt.

“What the hell was that for? I had him with that attack!” Gajeel glared at her, while Holly shook her head.

“You won’t be able to touch this one. Keep your distance…in fact, I advise you to run.” Zeref smiled at her words, tilting his head slightly.

By her side, Levy stiffened, narrowing her eyes at the man. “We’re wizards from Fairy Tail. We don’t abandon someone who needs help, especially one who is able to become friends with Gajeel so easily.” She smiled towards Holly, still keeping her eyes determined and focused. 

“We’re not friends! That chick nearly blew my head off.” Gajeel growled back at her in response, while Zeref frowned at him.

“You are facing an unknown enemy…yet you seem to think it is a decent time to argue with your comrades?” Zeref shook his head, his frown slowly transforming into a dark smile. With his red eyes, it made him look almost deranged, but he spoke with a calm clarity that sent chills down Holly’s spine. “Perhaps this war will be even easier than I thought it would be. However, I cannot allow the fairy to live. She reminds me of how I once felt about an old friend of mine…and right now, I cannot allow myself the privilege of such feelings.”

“Used to be…so you’re saying you’re just abandoning your friend? Why would you even want to hurt anyone like that?” Levy glared at him, pressing a hand to her chest. “Even if I no longer see the friends I had before I joined the guild…I know I’d never intentionally forget about them. They will always be close to my heart, just like any former guild member will remain. You don’t just choose to abandon a feeling like that because you want to start a fight!”

Holly’s hazel eyes were sad, biting her lip as she heard Levy’s plea. This wouldn’t help him at all, being reminded like this. The narrowing of his eyes showed his own irritation at the reminder as well. “I assure you, this is no personal matter.” He paused for a moment, as if debating his comment. “Or perhaps it is. Regardless, this war has been coming for years. Consider yourself lucky that the era of peace you’ve lived with lasted this long.”

She needed to get ahold of Foaly. The centaur had built a theoretical containment chamber that would at least hinder the death magic as a temporary stop to this. “You don’t have to be the one to end it. Seriously, why do you even want to start a war? You gave in to the curse to let go of the guilt. What do you think will happen when this phase ends for you?”

His gaze was cast towards the sky, looking mildly distant. “I will finally be able to rest. After all…that is my very reason for starting this war…to be capable of changing this cursed fate I am burdened with.”

“If you’ve got a problem with your fate, I can show you a thing or two about changing it.” Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. “Oi, you even listening to me? I’m saying you’ve got other options than stealing some little girl for your plans.” Holly squirmed at the idea of being called little, but she supposed it looked that way to him. She was average height for an elf, and she was far older than anyone here, except perhaps Zeref.

“And such a plan involves joining a guild, I imagine. Or perhaps something as simple as being around other wizards, making friends and the like?” Gajeel rolled his eyes, leaning back slightly as if this were a civil conversation. Really, Holly was surprised he had made it this long without attacking. “Ask your fairy companion why such a thing is not an option for me. I have little interest in divulging the secrets of my own past personally, especially to wizards that will likely only survive for a month longer at most.”

“A—a month?” Levy stuttered slightly, her eyes growing wide. “I thought…why would this war even involve us?”

“Because my target is Fairy Tail itself.” Zeref seemed to smile, pausing for a moment. “And it would be rather boring, simply coming in with them unwarned about the danger. Since Artemis failed me in one aspect of our deal, I shall assume he’s neglected our secondary agreement as well.” His red gaze landed on Holly, narrowing for a moment. As he stiffened, he took a deep breath and shook his head. “Consider yourself lucky that I am in the mood for a challenge. Natsu is still alive, after all…it will be interesting, to see how he reacts. Tell Fairy Tail I am coming…let Mavis try and stop me. Also…should you encounter the twelve year old Artemis Fowl, tell him that I send my condolences for his loss. If he wishes to remedy that situation, he will have to come to me and meet my own demands.”

The blood drained from Holly’s face. She could still remember the fallen body on the floor of the manor, the one Zeref had been somehow preserving in lacrima by creating the object with his own magic. “Are we leaving her then, Lord Zeref?” Jade spoke to him, her voice taking on a far more respectful tone than before.

With his back turned towards them, Zeref stopped for a moment and glanced over his shoulder. His gaze locked on Holly’s, and slowly he nodded and returned his gaze towards Jade. “Yes, we are. I am rather tired with this endeavor. It is proving to be a waste of our time. Perhaps we should see how August is progressing.” With that, Jade nodded and fell into step by his side. The two began to leave, while Holly slowly relaxed, the tension leaving her muscles once he was out of sight.

“Lord Zeref…the legendary black wizard…” Levy glanced towards Holly, who nodded grimly. “I’m sorry to ask you of this…but our guild is in danger if he’s coming after us. We…we won’t have time to help you, if we want to save our friends. We can take you as far as Magnolia—“

“I’m helping you.” Levy looked startled, while Holly tossed the gun aside. The magical item faded away as the energy vanished with it. “You mud men have no clue what you’re up against. Zeref’s immortal, cursed with magic humans haven’t seen in centuries. If anyone is going to be able to stop it, it would be my kind.”

“And you can fight? ‘Cus it didn’t look like you had a lot of magic back there.” Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her, while Holly closed her eyes at the mention of it.

Taking a deep breath, Holly hesitated one last moment. She couldn’t contact anyone underground and give them a warning. Zeref was coming now, though, and Artemis wasn’t kidding about how threatening that man was. So, with her job already sacrificed and her magic gone, Holly did the only thing that an elf without a future could manage in her current situation. “You’re right. I don’t have magic, because a stupid mud boy ordered me to stay put in a house with an unstable wizard who uses death magic.” The two blinked at her in surprise, while Holly began walking. “I’ll explain on the way. It’s a long story, but you’re going to have to know what you’re working with, and what you’re up against if you want any chance of winning. To start, I’ll tell you the basics about fairies…starting with our magic and the curse that helped eliminate my own.”


	31. Plotting Deception

The time stop was coming down, and Artemis was still finalizing the plan he had in mind. Really, it was based on a hypothetical assumption, which irked him. However, he had to take into account the reactions of the other wizards. Typically, people would not be so worried about a false vision of the future unless that form of magic had proven to be viable in the past. Based on the fact that time magic was possible, he had to assume premonition could exist as well. So, he had to plan to work with Zeref at some point in time, though he still wondered to what extent that would be.

Keeping his thoughts hidden from the others, Artemis had settled for letting Butler silence any wizards that attempted to interrupt his planning, True, he should hurry with how threatening Zeref was, but he had little reason to do so. Zeref was safely back in Fowl Manor, and his father believed he was taking this trip to apologize to the guild. With Juliet taking care of Mother, he could safely assume there would be no reason to leave soon. If anything, Father would come to check and see if he was managing to persuade Wendy to help on his own. Even then, Artemis could explain away the situation as aiding them on a mission of theirs in return for her services.

He grimaced at the thought, knowing it once again involved lying to his family. Every plan he made these days seemed to involve keeping them in the dark. Mother couldn’t know, not with her mental state, and his father would disapprove of the fact that he would likely be involving himself in illegal actions to succeed. Overall, it would only slow his progress to involve them, but it did not mean he didn’t feel a twinge of guilt over not speaking to them about his actual life. They had raised him, after all. He owed them some form of gratitude.

The fairies seemed to stick to themselves the longer the silence lasted. All of them here had been marked with Fairy Tail’s guild mark to make communication with Mavis easier, but they still seemed to avoid contact. Root and Mulch were talking to each other. Artemis thought he overheard a few comments about negotiations between the two, likely to get Mulch’s help. Foaly’s camera joined them, but eventually moved away to watch Artemis. “You know…thinking in silence isn’t normally going to help much. I mean, it’s not like you can predict a magic that’s unpredictable by nature.”

Artemis had learned that much from his observations of Zeref. “I am well aware. However, now that you’ve given me a basic description of your technology and capabilities…I have much more to consider using in this plan.” He didn’t even consider hinting at what he was actually planning for this. It relied heavily on him understanding Zeref as well as he thought he did. 

“I can lend you one of our trashed computers, if you think it’d help.” There was a brief pause. “Not that I’d put it on record. Root would skin me for it…but he just doesn’t realize what this tech can do for him. Seriously, does he know how many calculations went into designing that blaster he loves so much?” 

Aware of how technical the mechanics of something as simple as a gun could be, Artemis nodded with a smile. “Most soldiers fail to realize genius and appreciate such a sight. As for your offer, I would appreciate it. At the very least, it would give me something to focus on as a…distraction, of sorts, for a restless mind.”

“Stuck in your plan, oh evil mega mind?” There was a sneer, sarcastic tone to Foaly’s voice, but Artemis found he did not mind. Foaly had a similar intellect to his own, albeit in a different subject. 

Tilting his head slightly, Artemis shrugged. “Not quite. More accurately, I am calculating if my predictions are accurate as to future moves of our enemies.” Behind him, Mavis seemed to appear from no where.

“If you need assistance in tactical strategy, I have come up with my own plan.” She leaned over towards the table, her green eyes focusing on the wooden surface. “Fairy Tail may not be strong, but we have contacted our members and requested that they return in this time of crisis. Our best ranged fighters include guns magic users, by the names of Alzack and Bisca. Between the two of them, we should be able to at least delay the army that is coming.”

“No, that is not what I wish to know.” Artemis interrupted her, making Mavis blink at him in surprise. “Predictions about the actions of others. You know Zeref best, Miss Vermillion. Tell me what his strategy is…how he plans to win this war.”

Mavis grew quiet, pursing her lips together for a moment. Then, she sighed and nodded. “An army. Zeref…spends his free time reigning as the emperor of one of the largest nations in Earthland. He built it himself, conquering and unifying territories just because…he wanted to escape. He told me about it, long ago. By now, it is likely the most powerful nation of wizards known to us. His greatest weapons will be his closest guard, the wizards known as the Spriggan Twelve. Their power is greater than that of our own wizard saints…not to mention Zeref’s own power.”

“What types of magic are we talking about? I mean, even if they are strong, it’s not like certain styles don’t have their own weaknesses.” Foaly spoke, sounding a bit at east considering the news.

“That’s part of why they are so dangerous. Alvarez is a militaristic nation…meaning their training and fighting techniques are known only to them. Zeref kept it that way, suspecting he’d need the army eventually.” Mavis frowned at that, clasping her hands together tightly. “I just…I never expected it to come to this. I saw how much he struggled…yet I couldn’t do anything to stop…” She shook slightly, her eyes watering. 

Glancing around, Artemis wondered if someone else might be able to help her. Perhaps he had an in-depth understanding of psychology, but that did not mean he was personally the one to offer comfort to others. “No one could have done anything. Zeref did not strike me as the type of man to listen to the suggestions of others unless it bettered his own plans.”

“No…that’s not what he’s like…” Mavis sniffled slightly, wiping at her eyes and shaking her head. “But…I can’t think about that right now. If I let myself focus on that…I won’t be able to keep my resolve.”

“What do you predict he will do with Fairy Heart?” This was what had Artemis feeling so conflicted. Was the risk worth it? In the end, he supposed it didn’t matter. According to these wizards, that event would come to pass, regardless of if he chose to incorporate it into events or not.

“Nothing good, that’s for sure. Not many helpful spells need that much power.” Foaly seemed to pause for a moment. “Actually…maybe that’s wrong. The only record of Zeref’s attempted resurrections dates back four hundred years ago…he actually gave a class presentation on his theory, can you believe that? The teachers shut him down quick, so we didn’t even have to intervene. However…the reason his spell wouldn’t work was—“

“A lack of energy.” Artemis interrupted, seeing where he was going. “However, he’s already resurrected the dead, with a method that does not harm the mind as you claim others do.” With that, he glanced towards Natsu. He seemed to be sulking a bit, his head hung low as his friends gathered around him. Artemis guessed it was due to the fact that he had insisted they wait to attack. The dragon slayer had tried to jump at the chance to go out and fight, but it was not in their best interests to jump in without a plan.

Mavis nodded in agreement, frowning at the table. “All I know…is that Zeref’s greatest desire is to die. It was so sad, hearing him speak of throwing his life away like that…but when the time came for me to face my own reality, I couldn’t help but beg for the same.” She sounded miserable herself at the fact, shaking her head. “I didn’t truly mean it. Maybe he thought I did…or maybe I thought I did…but it still doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing things to enjoy in life, even with the curse. By just focusing on that…by focusing on what you can see, rather than what you lose, that helps keep your thoughts on the right track. Zeref…Zeref didn’t learn that, I think. He had no one by his side to help him through it, no friends or family…he was just always alone.”

“What did you even do to get cursed, if you don’t mind me asking? You don’t strike me as the kind of person who would unreasonably decide to bring back a dead family member, not if you’re able to cope with grief that well.” Foaly spoke, while Artemis shrugged. The details about her past mattered little. What she had told him, however, meant more than she thought. Before, Artemis had been strongly convinced that Zeref simply wished for his curse to end. Ending his own life was a very different goal, which just might become possible with the strong magic created by Fairy Heart. 

Meanwhile, Mavis was starting to answer Foaly’s question, explaining some story about a death magic spell she had been forced to use. Artemis was lost in thought, frowning at the table as he once again thought back to the spell he had pictured being used by Zeref. Perhaps his theory had been correct about the man. “Rejecting the world…” He whispered the phrase, just to hear it once more. Mavis and Foaly didn’t even notice, but Butler did. His bodyguard frowned over at him, raising an eyebrow as the young genius simply shook his head. Perhaps like before, he had misinterpreted Zeref’s words. There just might be more than one way to reject the world.

Lost in thought, Artemis didn’t even notice the guild hall doors bursting open. Some other wizards entered, and he heard Lucy walk over to greet them. What did get his attention, however, was the sudden sharp sting on his cheek along with the smack cutting into the sound of the room. Mavis stopped speaking, and even Foaly’s camera seemed to turn towards him. His cheek stung, turning slightly pink as Butler rose to his feet, threateningly approaching him and the newcomer to the guild. When Artemis’ blue eyes met the hazel gaze of a familiar fairy, he blinked in surprise. 

Holding his arm out, Artemis gestured for Butler to stand down. “Halt, old friend. I do believe I may have deserved that this time.” Still, his mind was racing. She shouldn’t have been willing to lose her magic, not for something as simple as getting out of his home. It left him with only one conclusion, which he gave with calm confidence. “I take it Zeref escaped?”

“Hold on a second…Holly? What in the name of Frond are you doing here?” Foaly’s voice sounded shocked, while the female fairy was too busy glaring at Artemis, with two more wizards moving to stand behind her.

Holly nodded towards the camera, before returning her focus towards Artemis. “Yep. And you’re talking with the reason I was taken away, too. Care to explain what you did to my friend, Fowl? Or better yet, care to explain why you trapped me in a house where you knew I’d be in danger?”

“In all fairness, Zeref showed little interest in leaving in the past.” Artemis tried to stay calm, seeing her short figure coming threateningly closer to him. “He even requested that we deny him opportunities to leave, claiming the end result would not bode well for anyone.” That was another check on his list to confirm his theory. Perhaps it was vague, but it would still be the case if Zeref succeeded.

“Back up just a second…Holly, how’d you even get inside? Did the wizards you’re with invite you or something?” Foaly was still trying to talk to her, but Holly was glaring harshly over at Artemis. The young genius looked away, frowning and taking a deep sigh.

Holly scowled in irritation, clearly not in a good mood. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t have mattered either way. This genius ordered me to stay put inside of my room, when one of the Black Curse victims was inside of the house. Now, what do you think that combination resulted in, Arty?” She spat out the term, making Artemis wonder who had even said his nickname to her. Had his mother somehow stumbled into her? Either way, it was a bit disturbing to think his mother would mistake Holly for him.

“This is a minor mistake in an overall grand scheme. I assure you, captain, it was never my intention for this to occur. However, if all goes according to plan…you will have your magic back.” Artemis was going to ignore her use of his nickname at the moment. It wasn’t as if he truly wished to dwell on who she learned it from. 

“If you knew she was in danger, why’d you just leave her there in the first place?” The blue haired wizard behind Holly spoke, surprising Artemis. The elf had befriended wizards, it seemed. “Holly couldn’t do anything from that room. You left her defenseless, against the most powerful wizard we’ve ever known!”

The tall man next to her snorted and shook his head, using no words to express his support of the girl’s opinion. “As I stated before, Zeref had given no indication of wishing to leave his prison. If I had suspected his desire to leave was strong, I would have ensured my father never forced me to leave. Plus, it isn’t as if this inconvenience will hinder us. Fairy magic is more useful in terms of healing and—“

Holly interrupted him with another punch to the face. Artemis blinked in surprise, and this time Butler did not hesitate to move forward. He grabbed the fairy, startling Holly when he lifted her into the air and narrowed his eyes at her. “You listen here, fairy. I’ve let your anger slide on account of Artemis’ orders, but that does not change the fact that I am assigned as his guard. You hit him again, and I’ll disregard his orders and do what my training says is best for his safety.”

Smirking, Holly twisted her body his his arms. While doing so, she kicked out with one of her dangling feet, causing little damage to Butler’s massive form, but doing enough to push him back slightly. His grip loosened, and Holly fell to the floor. When she landed, she bent her knees to take the impact of the fall slightly, steadying herself quickly with a glare. “And I’ll fight back with everything I’ve got, mud man. Don’t think I’m weak just because I’m small. You humans have no idea what we’re capable of.”

“Butler, I did state that I deserved her rage, did I not? Leave her be, unless she truly does put me in mortal danger.” Artemis rubbed his cheek, where her punch had landed. He was likely going to have a bruise now, one which he’d need to explain to Father. Perhaps one of the wizards did so, out of anger for him kidnapping Lucy. The decision to lie once again made him clench his teeth, glancing back towards their group. They seemed to have just noticed the new wizards in the guild, jumping up and waving at their friends. Lucy was walking towards them, smiling brightly at the blue haired girl.

“Levy! I can’t believe you got here so quick. Did you get the first’s message?”

Levy glanced towards Holly, shaking her head. “Well, yes, but we were already on our way back when it came in. See…this is Holly. Apparently, the creep that kidnapped you did the same to her.”

With that, Levy narrowed her eyes at Artemis. The young genius shook his head, still calculating their first move. Zeref would come with an army, according to Mavis. However, if he was impatient enough to break free of his prison, perhaps that would change. Considering the force she had described, a small unit would work better on his side of the plans. Being discrete would be in his best interests, especially now that Fairy Tail was expecting him. An infiltration mission would be difficult, but not impossible if Zeref chose the right individual. 

Scanning the wizards inside, Artemis wondered if anyone here was already working for him. Levy and Lucy continued talking, catching up on what had been missed while she was gone. However, when Levy got to telling the story of meeting Holly, Artemis had grown still. “Some crazy girl was after her, Lu-chan! Working for Zeref, too. She had this weird magic…but she said it wasn’t magic…”

Holly joined in, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head as she turned away from Artemis. “I don’t know who she was, but Zeref called her Jade. Don’t know about that power either, but she wasn’t lying about it not being magic. I’m guessing we still didn’t see her full power then either.” She frowned, glancing towards Artemis. “She didn’t have any of her memories. That much was rather clear early on. And while I thought she was someone Zeref resurrected, there was too much clarity of mind for that to be the case.”

A chill was rushing through Artemis’ veins. He had been wondering what would push him to join Zeref. Now, he was beginning to see exactly what it was that had been done. Holly knew more, and she likely wasn’t telling him for that very reason. She was avoiding him working with Zeref, without realizing he was already planning to do so in the process of stopping him. “That makes no sense.” Butler frowned, speaking before Artemis said anything in response. “Perhaps Zeref created a demon on the grounds. It isn’t the first time records of such creatures were made by him.”

Shaking his head, Artemis closed his eyes. “No. I do believe Holly’s first assumption is correct…or perhaps both of them are.” His eyes opened, focusing back on Natsu. “Zeref hinted as much about Natsu…hinting that he was the most powerful demon he had ever created, yet he is also Zeref’s brother. His form of resurrection creates demons.”

The fairy snorted, shaking her head. “Whatever she is, she’s going to be a problem. I got a few good shots at her, but she’s fast and she’s strong. While I don’t know all of what she can do, I’ve seen her harden her entire body and transform her skin into jade.”

Zeref must have been inspired by the ring. Artemis already knew what had happened, and he could feel a heavy weight in his stomach at the thought. Should he tell Butler? He would need be prepared, but it just may distract him in other battles. Thinking back to his own father, and how Butler had stood by his side the entire time, Artemis sighed. Butler was his friend, not just a mere pawn in his schemes. He had to do what Butler would want.

Glancing towards him, Artemis tried to keep his expression neutral. However, Butler reacted by stiffening slightly, wary of the expression on his face. “I am sorry, old friend. However…the details given by Holly can only lead me to one conclusion. Zeref attacked Fowl Mansion…and he killed Juliet, and likely my own mother as well.” Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Meanwhile, Artemis fought against the odd cold seeping into his body. He had to stay focused on the mission. So long as he remembered that he would fix all of this, he would be fine. “This Jade, this attacker they’ve been speaking of, utilizes a fighting style similar to that of your sister, does she not?”

Butler nodded, stumbling back slightly. One hand gripped the nearest table tightly, and he leaned towards it as he breathed hard. “Jules…damn that black wizard. I’ll kill him myself if that’s what it takes—“

“No, Butler.” Artemis interrupted, rising to his feet. “Rash actions will only make matters worse. If we go to him, he has control, the upper hand and knowledge of the land. However, if we wait for him to come here—“

“He will not know where he is fighting. We’ll have the home advantage.” Butler took a deep breath, his eyes moist as he seemed to try and focus on Artemis’ plans instead. “Artemis, if you see Juliet—“

“I know. You will deal with your sister, old friend. I would not ask for you to stay with me while she is in danger.” Looking towards him, Artemis gave his friend a weak smile. “Family comes first, as it always has.”

“But…your mother. Are you certain she is gone as well? Holly only described one attacker.”

Glancing towards the fairy who seemed to be cringing slightly, Artemis smiled. “That is exactly what she is refusing to speak of at the moment. Isn’t that right, Captain?”

Before she could reply, Lucy stepped forward with a glare. “Hold on, how are you so calm about all of this? You think your own mother is dead! Shouldn’t you…be crying…or angry…or something?”

“I’ve lost my father before, and my mother has been gone for a very long time. Yes, it pains me to think she is truly dead…however, if I don’t act now, everyone else on this planet will join her.” He locked eyes with her brown gaze. “I cannot allow myself to grieve, not during this time of disaster. You will not succeed without my plan, Lucy, so I suggest you refrain from reminding me of the pain I should be feeling at the moment.”

“Artemis…” Butler hesitated for a moment, sighing and shaking his head. “This is unlike you. What exactly are you planning?”

The young genius smiled, a dark look considering the news he had just been given. “All in good time, old friend. First, I do believe we need to know where our defenses must be focused.” His gaze turned towards Mavis, who nodded gravely. 

“Fairy Heart resides in the guild hall. I’m sorry, but I cannot provide any further details. It must be protected, and with Charle’s vision…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

Artemis nodded, content with that. His gaze flickered towards Foaly’s camera, another idea forming. “That will suffice. Foaly…just where am I going to go to pick up this technology I am allowed to learn from?”

“Hold on a second. What do you mean you’re allowing him to use anything of ours? Don’t tell me you’re actually helping him!” Holly glared at the camera, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s a liability waiting to happen. You heard what he just said. His mother is dead. Zeref is trying to use that to get the kid on his side.”

“And we have a psychic who foretold that very event would occur, through use of magic.” Artemis folded his hands together, taking a seat in the chair behind him. His back leaned against one of the tables, and he now could stare easily into Holly’s eyes. “I did not know what methods he would employ, but my plan was built with that vision in mind. Deceiving Zeref, however, will prove to be difficult.”

“Wait…you’re planning on tricking Zeref into thinking you’re on his side?” Levy frowned, gazing at him. “I don’t know. That doesn’t really seem like a great idea. If he finds out the truth, he’s bound to lash out.”

“And who would pay the price other than me?” Levy bit her lip, while Artemis nodded towards her. “He has already claimed my family. I am the only one left to target…and that means he is out of cards to play, so to speak.”

“Whatever happened to make you so heartless…kid, if you really need a moment to deal with things, the rest of us can figure stuff out. I mean, we’ve got records of this stuff from the past, and we’ve got these wizards that are used to dealing with situations like this. Between all of that, I think we’d manage without you for a few moments.” Foaly made Artemis pinch the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

“Not now. Foaly, again, where am I gathering the things I was allowed to look at?”

There was a sigh, before the centaur continued on. “Fine, but don’t blame me when you have some kind of breakdown later on. Outside, on the southwestern edge of the guild hall. We’ve set up a mini op center, a tent made out of cam foil.” He paused for a moment, as if realizing the terminology he was using. “That is, you won’t really see it. I hate time stops, forcing me to come above ground…but at least I can take a piece of home with me with these babies. Anyway, head that direction, and I’ll get you inside.”

“No, you stay put.” Holly narrowed her eyes at Artemis, placing a hand on her hip. “I’ll take him there. And if this mud boy does anything suspicious, you can bet I’ll be the first to push him back in line.”

Giving her a weak smile, Artemis nodded and rose to his feet. “Then the research shall begin. Meanwhile…Mavis is likely going to be the better strategist involving her own wizards. I wish you luck on your strategy.” Artemis nodded towards Mavis, who smiled grimly and turned back towards her wizards. As he walked out of the guild hall, she began giving a few explanations to the group that had returned. She had such an optimistic view of the way things would turn out. Right now, Artemis was just hoping he could ensure that would be the case. Touching his chest, Artemis wondered just how long he could keep his mind racing faster than his emotions. If he couldn’t manage it, then they were all doomed. After all, if everything followed as he expected them to, there would be much more death in their near future.


	32. Spriggan's Tactician

It had been nearly a month since Zeref left Fiore for his empire. Really, he was rather surprised at how easy leaving had been. No one asked to prove his identity when boarding a boat. No one seemed to question where he had obtained all the funds for the journey to another continent. No one even questioned why he wished to leave for the empire that had been proven to be a threat to their own nation. Overall, Zeref found Fiore was lacking in border security measures, and it made him somewhat relieved that getting his own invasion force into Magnolia would be simple.

What was bothering him, however, was the prolonged silence from the lacrima he now kept inside his castle in Vistarion. He had left August in charge of building the army. That man was the best trainer he had, and when he wasn’t working on building their strength, he was helping Zeref delegate law enforcement duties towards areas that were struggling to maintain peace. Overall, he relied heavily on his closest advisor while the others came and went, always busy with one task or another. With their plans nearing the final stage, however, Zeref saw them more often. Irene would stop by on occasion, showing him the theoretical design on the enchantment meant to separate Fairy Heart from Mavis. Dimaria would ask for advice on how to strengthen her already overwhelming power, though Zeref often wondered how she believed he’d help. Invel came with concerns over END, and often times, he’d see the winter general adding in comments about stopping his demon in their attacks. Zeref quickly eliminated those notes, still wishing to meet END in person on the battlefield, to give his brother one last chance to succeed.

In the meeting room, Zeref sat at the end of the oval shaped table, with the lacrima resting on a stand just in front of him. As soon as he had gotten back, that was where he had placed the object taken from his prison at Fowl Mansion. Back then, it had been used to watch over him. Now, it remained dormant, as it had for the last three weeks. Whenever Zeref tried to activate it in reverse to spy on Artemis, he found nothing but darkness within his vantage point. From what he could sense, it was inside some pocket of space, likely stored away by a requip wizard. Until it was removed, it would be useless to him. However, he needed the boy to give his input on Zeref’s plans. That genius was a tactician, like Mavis was. Not only that, but he was a prodigy when it came to magical theory, like himself. Combining those two strengths into one would make Zeref unstoppable, and allow him to finish this war quickly.

The doors to the room opened, revealing August coming inside with Invel at his side. The winter general had been off managing something to the north, so it was rather surprising to see him here now. Both bowed slightly upon seeing Zeref, while Zeref nodded and gestured for them to take a seat. “Sire, Invel has returned with troubling news. Auracosta has begun to rebel.”

Last week, he had announced his plans for war. He had expected some form of dissent as a result, but not to the extent of a true rebellion. “And they cannot be calmed? Invel, have you attempted to explain what we will gain from this war?”

Nodding, the winter general narrowed his eyes. “I have, your highness. They are a smaller territory, one that relies heavily on mining for their economy. The draft you’ve implemented is taking away their workers, and has left many families struggling to survive. Simply put, they are fighting to keep what is necessary for them to survive.”

“How many of our army comes from this region?” Zeref leaned back in his chair, trying to think of how to work around this. As always, there would be a compromise that would solve this. His pawns were so easy to manipulate to his desires.

Finally taking a seat, August sat down to Zeref’s left, just to the right of Invel. “Approximately two percent, sire. While small in size, much of our wizard population hails from that region. Those that do not work in the mines there tend to seek work in wizard guilds outside of the area, sending money back to support their families.”

Aware of the actual numbers in his army, Zeref nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Very well. Inform them that we will alter the draft to some degree. Wizards drafted will come solely from guilds, that way ensuring—“

“I took the liberty of offering a similar proposition, my lord.” Invel interrupted, bowing his head. “My apologies for interrupting, but it seemed important to inform you that they will not be satisfied by the simple promise of returning their men. Auracosta stood against this war the moment you announced it. We just may have to use force to show them they have no choice.”

It would set them back. Zeref frowned, leaning forward on the table with a glare. Everything had gone so smoothly until now. The army trained well under August. Alvarez managed to expand further, taking over new territories with ease and gaining more men to fight for him. Irene managed to develop an enchantment to grant him the power he’d need for his spell. Overall, there had been no flaws thus far. This rebellion could push him back a few days, if not longer depending on how long it took to suppress the unrest. If it spread further, it would create further delays. 

“How many are capable of fighting against us?” Maybe there was a way to do both. If he sent only a portion of the army to Auracosta, the rest could remain here and begin to invade Fiore in an attempt to break into Fairy Tail.

Pressing his glasses further up onto his face, Invel nodded. “Deserters from the army have joined. My estimate puts their force at about five hundred men in size, though it is spreading. Others fail to see the importance of gaining an unlimited power source of magic without knowing exactly what that power will be used for.”

As Invel was speaking, they had failed to notice the lacrima lighting up in front of Zeref. However, the black wizard was already continuing on to speak. “My reasons are my own. Alvarez has respected that for years now.” What had changed? Had he been gone for too long?

As if echoing his thoughts, August responded. “Time changes the mindset of many, sire. Perhaps you are still loved by your people, but they no longer enjoy living in ignorance. They grew fearful in your absence, some even believing you were dead.”

“And this is why such plans will never succeed.” Everyone froze at the new voice, one which startled Zeref. It had been so long since he had not sensed the presence of that boy spying on him that he did not realize Artemis could still sneak up on him. “Good evening, Zeref, and what I am assuming are advisors to him from Alvarez. For those of you that do not know me, my name is Artemis Fowl.”

Right now, Zeref couldn’t help but feel as if this boy had perfect timing. That fairy had made good on carrying his message to the Fowls, then. Either that, or one of them had returned home by now. Smiling, Zeref leaned towards the lacrima with dark eyes. “I had wondered how much longer you would make me wait, Artemis. Tell me, did you truly think testing my patience would bode well for your mother?”

“Perhaps not, but if I came to you back then, I would have been of little use. Coming up with a plan before acting is really the most basic essence of strategizing, black wizard. I suggest you learn to do the same.” Invel and August were watching with narrowed eyes.

Rising to his feet, Invel glared at Artemis’ image on the lacrima. “How dare you speak to him that way? Emperor Spriggan is a great man, one you would do well to fear and honor.”

“And I am a child criminal mastermind, yet few do the same for me. It truly is shameful how us villainous men are treated by the general public, is it not?” Artemis almost looked amused by his own comment, while Invel only blinked at him in surprise. “Now…from what little I overheard when I joined, I assume there is a delay in your current war plans?”

“An uprising in my own empire, though a small one in Auracosta that can be dealt with swiftly.”

There was a pause, and Zeref could see the boy turning to mess with something outside of his view. An odd clicking noise was heard faintly, then nothing. “Based on my map of your empire, it would be rather troubling to lose a territory so close to main waterways. I’m assuming it is vital for your trade industry with other nations?” Zeref nodded, frowning at him. For one so young, he seemed to understand a great deal about rationalizing how a nation would be lead. “Do what is necessary to keep it under your power, then. To be honest, I am under the impression that you would hardly even need such an army to obtain what you are looking for anyway.”

That made Zeref lift his eyebrows, tilting his head slightly. “You are aware of my plans?”

“Perhaps. I have my own hypotheses about such matters, though if they will be proven true remains to be seen.” Once again, Zeref had an odd mixture of feeling the need to kill this boy and feeling the need to wait and see just how much he could accomplish. “Tell me if this much is correct, however. You killed my mother, believing to hold your ability to bring her back to life as bait to gain my assistance.” That much would be simple enough for him to learn. Zeref waited, to see what other conclusions he had drawn. “In terms of my assistance, you are looking for someone with the mental capacity to keep up with and predict the movements of Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Tail’s first guild master and their greatest tactician. After working with her for nearly a month, I can see why you’d view her as a threat.”

Nodding, Zeref saw his own generals blinking at the kid in surprise. “Sir…are you truly asking for help from a child?” Invel looked at the idea as absurd, based on his tone.

Tilting his head, August frowned. “It may not be unwise. He has a curiosity in his eyes…this boy knows how important it is to find answers to his questions in life.”

“And his assumptions are correct. So, tell me, Artemis Fowl…are you here to accept my terms? I have the power to resurrect your mother…and as proof, I have already done so to one of your lesser companions.” Zeref reached out telepathically, seeking out Jade’s mind to summon her. She was always at the castle, being used as bait to lure in Artemis if he had abandoned his own lacrima for personal reasons. “She will be here momentarily, if you truly desire proof.”

“That will not be necessary. You see, I am rather fond of this idea I believe you have. So, I would like to amend the terms of our agreement.” Artemis folded his hands together, smiling towards Zeref. “I shall help you…and in return, I will join you when you activate your final spell. After you’ve obtained Fairy Heart…after you’ve destroyed every last member of Fairy Tail and devastated this world…we will stand together and finalize your rejection of the world we currently live in.”

There was something unreadable about Artemis’ blue eyes. He was just a child, yet Zeref heard an unmistakable darkness in his voice. He truly didn’t care if he joined Zeref in this plan. Artemis Fowl had no qualms about killing, and considering his age, Zeref didn’t know how to react. Few would be so calm about the matter, and most people Zeref met found the idea atrocious. “So you are requesting…protection? Survival?”

“If that was what I wished for, I would have said so.” Artemis narrowed his eyes, focusing directly into Zeref’s own. “You should be aware of exactly what I am implying, black wizard. If you are creating the spell I think you are…then I wish to reject this world right by your side. There are plenty of things in this world that could have gone better, don’t you agree? Timelines to investigate, histories to be changed…is it truly possible? Well…I suppose it is, in theory. What is lacking…is power. Is that not where Fairy Heart comes into play?”

Not even Invel or August had figured out his final plan with Fairy Heart. True, he had planned to reveal the matter to his generals, but it was not yet the time to do so. Artemis had figured it out, without even being near him. This was exactly why Zeref needed him, though. “Very well. I see little harm, considering how this will play out.” Neo Eclipse would send him back centuries. Artemis Fowl didn’t even exist then, so it would not hinder his plans to relive his life. 

Smiling, Artemis leaned back in whatever seat he was in. Looking closer, Zeref realized it was not Fowl Manor at all. It looked like some small apartment, though he could hardly see details beyond a pale yellow wall behind the young genius. “An excellent choice. Now, as for your first move…I suggest making it now. Fairy Tail has grown lax now that you’ve delayed your war for so long. They’ve resumed their suspended mission…members are away, searching for fairies, no less. I find it rather amusing, considering they’ve already been found and brought to the guild. Mavis seems to be trying to gain a collection of the creatures.”

Oddly, Zeref had little troubling imagining the girl doing just that. The thought made him smile briefly, before forcing the fond memories of her down once more. She was a tool to give him power now, nothing more and nothing less. He had to keep that in mind, or else he would falter when he needed to focus. “We are nearly prepared.”

“Actually, for dealing with this guild, I’d say you are more than prepared. Just you alone would be enough to destroy what little forces they have. And if that is not enough…I do have a secondary plan.” Artemis seemed to pale slightly at that. “However…I would rather not let it come to that. It…it is not something I think either of us would wish for.”

Deciding not to press for details, Zeref nodded. “I see. And is this truly the best you can come up with? Launch an attack of pure death magic against a legal guild.” Zeref chuckled, shaking his head. “Mavis will expect such a thing.”

“Actually, she will not.” That made Zeref frown, narrowing his eyes. “She calculates based on probabilities, assuming your choices based on psychological observations of you in the past and predicting your actions as a result. She is aware of your knowledge of her…and she has taken into account you attempting to dodge her own strategies in her planning. Such a simplistic approach…she is under the impression you will take something far more complex, which will allow it to succeed. By the time she realizes she must defend against the curse, it will be too late and her wizards will be dead.”

“It does sound like an efficient plan.” Invel frowned, glancing towards August.

“Ah, but would it not be shameful to allow for such a large loss of life? Perhaps one of them held the potential to answer one of the world’s greatest questions…though I suppose if it is for Lord Zeref, it is for the best.”

Zeref understood August’s reservations, but he did not share that same sympathy towards those that would die. Who knew if they’d even be alive after he rewrote all of history? “I see. And if you have a plan to implement should she manage to stop the curse…”

“You will not fail. I assure you…one way or another, you and I will succeed in this war. Bring your generals with you if you still doubt me, but plan to attack in person. Fairy Tail will never see us coming.”

Lifting his eyebrows, Zeref studied Artemis for a moment. “You…you’ve been deceiving them, haven’t you?”

Nodding, Artemis smiled. “They believe I am planning a method of stopping you. However, I know when it is in my best interests to ally with the darker side of a war. My father came from a dark guild, after all. It is in my blood to be a criminal, and to follow my own needs before those of others.”

“Excellent. Then, Artemis Fowl, I leave you in charge of opening the doors for me when I arrive.” Rising to his feet, Zeref reached out and grabbed the lacrima, carrying it with him as he walked. “I am coming back to Fiore…and then, Fairy Heart will finally be mine. Summon Irene and tell her to join me, for we will need her to finish what I have planned.” August nodded, moving to do that. Meanwhile, Zeref couldn’t help but feel an odd sensation of pride about his decisions. Everything was working so perfectly, with Artemis joining him out of his own will. However, he still couldn’t help but close his eyes for a moment as an odd chill settled over him. The emptiness inside that came with this rage seemed to linger, an emptiness that would remain so long as he forced himself to be completely alone. Shaking his head, Zeref narrowed his eyes and hardened his expression. Just a little while longer, and he’d have everything he dreamed of. He was getting his family back, and this time, he would ensure that no one took them away from him again.


	33. Breaking Parental Ties

Within a month, Artemis had nearly mastered the use of computers. For most people, such a task would take longer, but Artemis was skilled in learning new material. He had devoted almost all of his free time to studying the ‘ancient tech’, as Foaly had put it, in his room. His father was in the house, and he had seen Artemis carrying the device, but Artemis had simply explained it away as a new project of his that he had brought from home. Father left it alone at that, and only questioned Artemis about it when he vanished for nearly days on end, investigating its uses. 

As a result of his mastery of the device, Artemis was finding a new hobby—hacking Foaly. With Zeref not yet attacking, he was getting rather bored of simply sitting around and waiting. Getting past the centaur’s firewalls was a great way to pass the time, providing him with a challenge every time he attempted to see more fairy files. Sometimes, the centaur caught him before he made it anywhere near his data storage. However, the times Artemis broke through taught him new information that the Book did not contain. This was how he had managed to access the personnel files of the LEP, along with the criminal records of Mulch Diggums to see exactly what kind of criminal he was working with. Not only that, but Artemis had managed to skim over medical files and procedures that were years ahead of anything humans managed to create. If he could implement some of the medicines created underground, he could save lives while building the Fowl fortune in a way his father would approve of.

As a result, Artemis’ most recent targets were on the medical files Foaly kept hidden in his systems. He had learned much about the anatomy of fairies in comparison to humans. As expected, they lacked the container for ethernano within their bodies. However, Artemis had been mildly intrigued by the lack of a pituitary gland as well. He wondered what took its place in their bodies, but perhaps that was why they survived having ethernano stored directly in their bloodstream. Did human growth hormone have an adverse reaction with ethernano? It was a possibility, one which he would need to look into. All things considered, he seemed to be on the verge of extending his plan even further with these discoveries, and he was finding the idea of looking further into this intriguing.

On the desk next to the computer was Artemis’ lacrima that he had used to contact Zeref. Originally, he had planned to simply wait for Zeref to arrive. However, Fairy Tail’s wizards truly had abandoned the guild hall after so much time had passed. Root kept a few LEP officers stationed around the guild at all times, and Mavis still was wary of an attack, but jobs resumed like normal. Perhaps he had exaggerated about what job they took, but the appearance would be the same. Really, Artemis himself had stopped going to the guild hall since he was under the impression that Zeref would not be coming any time soon. So, he had decided to speed the process along. This way, there was less risk involved in his plan while teams were away on missions.

Artemis’ current room was rather small, compared to his study in the mansion. His father had gotten them a small hotel room for the duration of their stay, in one of the grander inns in Magnolia. Artemis senior laid claim to the main room, while the younger took the adjacent bedroom. The door would lead out into the room his father rested in, which contained a large bed that rested against a wall between two windows. The wall to the left of the bed contained a sofa, with a desk in front of it for the use of the guest. Artemis’ own room was smaller, containing his own bed and a much smaller desk that was overfilled with just the computer and lacrima. The hotel had attempted to make the room seem nicer with a few added pictures, but the images of flowers got old quickly and the Fowls had quickly discarded them into the back of the closets, buried behind the rows of suits both men wore.

When the door to his room opened, Artemis didn’t even look up from his recent attempts at breaking through Foaly’s defenses. It looked like the centaur was actively blocking him currently, making the challenge all the more tempting. “Artemis…are you really working on this project again?” His father spoke, making Artemis frown slightly.

“It will improve things greatly. Already, this technology far surpasses anything on the market. If given the right advertisement, this product could vastly increase our empire practically overnight.” 

There was a sigh from his father, making Artemis pause in his attempts. Glancing towards the elder Artemis, he saw dark circles under the man’s eyes. “Arty, we came here for your mother. Didn’t you say you were at least trying to befriend those wizards? What makes this more important than her?”

He clenched his jaw slightly, avoiding the blue eyes that were so much like his own. Behind his father, Butler stood warily in silence, observing the two for now. “I…it is taking some time. Wendy Marvel is a cautious child, due to her experiences as a wizard. Lucy was amongst her team, and as such, she does not trust me enough to join me back home.”

“You could be there now, Artemis. Working with her, talking things out. Did you even attempt to explain why? I know you can accomplish great things. You always were one to know how to plan things out like this, Arty.” His father ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes. “Why can’t you do the same when it matters? It seems like you truly are trying to prevent your mother from improving.”

Unable to help himself, Artemis found himself gazing at the smooth white surface of the inactive lacrima. He didn’t have a way to explain what had already happened. “And how is she doing, by the way?” Artemis decided to simply try and dodge the question. “Certainly Juliet has contacted you with an update on their situation by now.”

That made his father swallow, looking away himself. “She…I can’t seem to make contact. I’m beginning to wonder if this whole trip was pointless. Perhaps we should return. At least then you will show some interest in using that psychology background of yours to cure her.” Becoming his mother’s therapist was not on Artemis’ list of things to do. Not only would it be uncomfortable, the conflict of interests could vary greatly. 

Either way, Artemis knew he could not leave at the moment. “But what of the healer? Surely you still desire her aid.”

“But you clearly do not!” Artemis senior shouted, glaring at his son for a moment. Then, the man seemed to take a deep breath, his shoulders shaking as he leaned his back against the wall. “I…I’m sorry. I did not mean to raise my voice, Arty. It’s just…Angeline is struggling so much. She doesn’t even recognize me anymore, and I just want our family to be whole again. When you sit there playing with your toys…it reminds me of myself. You may think that you can push away your emotions now, but that isn’t a real life. Hiding behind money and power will never make you happy. I had hoped I wasn’t too late to show you that.”

There was a moment of silence as Artemis paused. His father hadn’t raised his voice at Artemis since the elder wizard left Grimoire Heart. Being punished was something Artemis had been somewhat familiar with as a child, though he could hardly call such actions discipline. Once Artemis understood what they were attempting to do, he had found ways to make sure his ‘time-outs’ were entertaining. He’d intentionally bring that punishment upon himself, simply to give himself a few moments of peace and quiet to think through his latest theory about magic. Once his parents realized that, they had stopped attempting to discipline him, realizing that Artemis actually enjoyed things such as sitting in silence and being grounded to not leave his room where he could study as much as he desired.

Now, hearing his father’s anger again, Artemis couldn’t help but feel a slight tug in his chest. He had been trying so hard to ignore it, to let the chill of shock remain strong instead. However, the sorrow had been growing, despite the logic telling him it was unnecessary. “I am not immune to the chemical imbalances we call human emotion. Mother has forgotten my own face numerous times as well.” Artemis didn’t have to fake the thickness in his voice. Right now, he was trying to reign in his emotions and focus on the plan instead. Zeref would be coming now, since Artemis prompted him to do so. He had to be ready to intercept the black wizard, to intervene at the right moment.

“I should have been there, Arty. I shouldn’t have just left, trying to foolishly help some old friends escape their dark past…” His father sighed, closing his eyes. “I do hope Ultear and Meredy made it out alright. At the very least, them leaving Grimoire Heart is the only upside to this entire mess.” Another pause filled the room, while Artemis wondered what else his father was searching for. “Arty…are you still angry with me? For leaving?”

This wasn’t a topic his father had brought up before. Blinking, Artemis frowned at his father. “Should I have been? As you explained, it was your own decision to remain away from home. You entrusted me to take care of the manor, as well as our fortune, showing that you knew the depths of my maturity. Anger for you acting on what you believed to have been the proper course of action would do us little good, Father. Considering what it told me of your opinions of my ability…I find I am actually rather pleased you trust me to such a degree.”

His father’s brows furrowed, his eyes opening once more. “Then are you angry with your mother? I cannot fathom why you aren’t putting all of your energy into curing her…”

Hesitating for a moment, Artemis realized he did have some method of escaping this time. However, it was likely not the ideal method. Seeing how his father was considering leaving, Artemis knew he had to convince the man that remaining was necessary, however. “I…it is something I am investigating, Father. Something…something has happened, and it requires a change in our original plans. That is the only reason why I am remaining here, rather than at the guild hall.” 

“Artemis, if I may make a suggestion, I’d advise not being so vague with your father. He deserves to know what you are up to.” Butler narrowed his eyes at the younger Artemis, while the elder frowned between the two of them.

“What…you two are hiding something from me. Did Juliet tell you something about Angeline, Butler?” Artemis’ father looked towards his bodyguard for advice, seeming to think Butler would be more forthcoming about the matter.

Closing his eyes, Artemis reached towards the lacrima on the desk, gripping it in his palm. “No. It was not Juliet who came with news of Mother.” His back was tense, and Artemis quickly relaxed the muscles. It would not do him good to strain his body when he’d likely have to attempt some form of athletic feat in the near future. The very thought made him scowl in irritation. “You had hoped to stay out of these matters…and I wished to allow you to stay on that path. There is only one way to help Mother now…and for that, we are both to blame.”

“Artemis…that is one of the security lacrimas we designed for the mansion.” His father was watching Artemis closely, his eyes widening at the sight. “Why did you bring one with you? Were you trying to spy on your mother?”

Shaking his head, Artemis let the orb rest in his lap. “I distrusted our prisoner, Father. He had spoken of dark plans recently, ones that alarmed me when I realized he had the potential to make them reality. My suspicions were proven correct…when he contacted me to inform me that Mother was dead, only able to be brought back by his own power.” His father’s legs gave out from the news, and for a moment, Artemis thought the man stopped breathing. Crouched on the ground and barely supported by the wall, Artemis watched as his father’s shoulders seemed to shake slightly, tremors moving the effect throughout his body. 

“Dead…but…she can’t be. Zeref…he was imprisoned. That building was locked with magic and enchantments…” He trailed off, biting his lip as his breathing became heavier.

“He can resurrect the dead, Father. He proved his power to me…by using that very magic on Juliet.” Realizing the implications, Artemis senior took a shaky breath, his gaze still distant as he tried to get a grip on himself. “Worry not, you will not have to involve yourself, Father. Mother will be brought back to us, that much I promise you. However…to do so, I must work with Zeref. Only by gaining his trust will we be capable of bringing her back to life.”

Locking eyes with his son, Artemis senior seemed to gain back some of his earlier focus. “No. I did not come this far just to have my son get involved in that mess. Black magic is dangerous…Zeref is even more so. I won’t allow you to—“

He broke off as Artemis activated the lacrima, revealing Zeref holding the other end. The black wizard glanced towards him with a frown, while Artemis turned him to see his father. “It is already done, Father. Perhaps you do not agree, but I am willing to go to any lengths to ensure that my family remains intact. Mother will be returned to us, I assure you of that.”

“I take it he is not fond of our arrangement?” Zeref tilted his head slightly, smiling towards the elder Artemis. “I suppose I can understand his mindset. Few would be comfortable knowing a mere child was near a man who killed all living things that surround him. I assure you, that time has passed, and my control is greater than ever before.” This was accented with a sharp look towards Artemis Fowl I, his red eyes flashing dangerously.

“Then take me instead. If you wish for help in whatever scheme you are making…I will do so in my son’s place.”

Zeref laughed, shaking his head slightly. “Did your son not explain our full arrangement? He wishes to help me for personal reasons. Despite your hardest efforts…his heart is darker than you might think. Artemis Fowl II will be helping me, and in the end, we will both be responsible for the end of this world. You are not capable of the darkness I require…you’ve gone too soft over the last few years, and I require one willing to be heartless towards all others. Have you not seen how your son has reacted to his own mother’s death? A man that can ignore such an event…even if he is a child, it shows just how easily he can accept death.” The black wizard paused, while the elder Artemis stared at him with his face ashen in color. “You should be proud. Artemis is a strong boy, despite his failings in magical ability. Few can manage to overcome him and his intellect. In that regard, he is much like me. What father would not be proud of a prodigy such as him?”

Reaching out to speak with Zeref had been the wrong move. Artemis was trying to deactivate the lacrima, but another magical energy kept interfering. He suspected Zeref was keeping the line open, though he could do little to prove such a thing. “He…Arty, just what are you planning?” His father looked almost frightened, his eyes wide in his already paled face. With the way he leaned back against the wall, still slumped on the floor, it looked like he was already defeated.

With Zeref listening in, Artemis knew what he had to do. Perhaps this was Zeref’s revenge for keeping him imprisoned. Perhaps it simply amused the black wizard to torment him like this. Regardless, he had to keep up the illusion of working for Zeref. “Our plans are simple, Father. Zeref and I intend to reject this world. Did you not think I would reach this point? You taught me to fight for wealth and power. Then, you left…you told me I was wrong to do as you had taught. You tried to reject all that I had become, telling me crime was wrong, gaining wealth was wrong…and you rejected that part of me that would never seek out companionship in others. Both you and Mother tried to make me someone I never was meant to be…and in psychological terms, it is quite damaging for a child to feel neglected by his or her own parents. My own childhood was filled with such nonsense. Now, I am going to change everything. I will make you proud, Father. I will be the son you truly wanted…as soon as this world is replaced with one that favors the man I am going to become.”

If anyone else had been listening, they would have said Artemis was lying. The young genius never sought out approval from anyone. Perhaps he did desire to make his father proud, but he did not alter his ways to gain such a trivial thing. However, his father clearly did not know Artemis as well as the young boy thought. The elder Artemis was stunned into a moment of silence, watching Artemis with tears welling in his eyes. After a few moments, he gained the strength to speak slightly, leaning forward towards his son. “Arty…I never meant…please, don’t be upset. You’ve always made me proud…all of your plans and inventions, I could never be more proud of a child who could compete with my own attempts at creating new spells. This…there are other ways to prove yourself, Artemis. I’m here for you…don’t ever think that I wouldn’t be.”

Standing stiffly over his shoulder, Butler watched Artemis with sad eyes. The young boy rose to his feet, glancing towards Zeref in the lacrima. The black wizard seemed to be smiling in amusement, watching them as if their life was his greatest source of entertainment. “There are other ways, Father. However, this is the method that will yield the quickest and most effective result. I recommend staying out of our way. Things will not be safe with the war beginning in the area.” He began moving past his father, out into the main room of the hotel. His father didn’t even try to stand up. Gazing into the lacrima, Artemis narrowed his eyes at the black wizard who seemed to be relaxing wherever he was. Likely, he was on his way to Fiore. However, Artemis was now more determined than ever to make sure this plan succeeded. His father would never forgive him for this, and Artemis had worked too hard to gain him back just to lose him now.


	34. Honor and Honesty

Artemis really did not intend to leave his room just then. However, circumstances had forced him to do so. Now that he was on the streets of Magnolia, Artemis wasn’t certain where to go. Butler had followed after him, appearing outside the hotel just moments after Artemis. The lacrima in his hand was still active, with Zeref’s face staring right at him. Standing on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, Artemis glanced around for ideas on where to go from here. The hotel was in the business sector of town, meaning shops lined the streets. Directly next to the hotel was a bakery that always made the streets smell like sugar early in the morning as they prepared their goods for the day. Across the street, a breakfast restaurant stood, claiming to be known for the best pancakes in all of Magnolia, if the sign plastered on their front window was to be believed.

Turning towards the bakery, Artemis began walking down the street. “Sir, was that not a bit harsh a moment ago? I understand your reasons, but your father only meant well.”

Frowning, Artemis remained silent for a moment rather than answering Butler’s question. These small things were only minor inconveniences in his plan. They would not set him back at all. However, there was a thin line he was trying to avoid crossing. Despite how he intended on ending this all, would he truly lose himself by following through on this? Artemis had done dark things in the past. Illegal activities tended to lean towards distasteful things, after all. However, he had never taken things to this extreme. Would he have to kill personally to convince Zeref of his loyalties? The thought made him feel oddly numb, unsure of if he’d be capable of following through on that or not.

A few side streets veered away from the main businesses, likely traveling towards the residential area near the canals. Artemis stayed on his current street, passing by a few clothing stores, and even a magic store in his mindless wandering. “Perhaps, but for him to follow in this path, having a true parent would only interfere.” Zeref spoke, his head tilting slightly. “Parents have odd effects on their children. I could not allow Artemis to remain with his father and risk his allegiances altering. This proved to be more effective than I had planned. Never did I imagine you would personally shun him. Tell me, just how deep does your resentment towards him go?”

Zeref spoke, reminding Artemis that his conversation with Butler was not truly private. Taking a deep breath, Artemis shook his head. “I cannot say. All I know is that my father is not the man I remember. Both him and my mother insist on me making friends my own age…but personally, I hold little interest in those imbeciles. Can you point to me another twelve year old capable of calculating the ideal ethernano required for activating nearly any spell?” With magic, too much energy could be a problem. It would result in loss of control of the spell at worst, and at best, it was simply a waste for the wizard using it. “Or perhaps one interested in theorizing the most efficient and useful spells for stealth and disguise? I have quite a few interesting transformation spells that could allow you to break into practically any place of your choosing. The only thing I am missing are spells to deceive the surveillance lacrimas contained in such places.”

“You seek an intellectual counterpart, one who can keep up with your theories.” Zeref spoke, his voice oddly distant. For a moment, the red seemed to fade for his eyes, and Artemis wondered if he was breaking free of the darkness holding tightly onto him. “While I was completing my own education, I oddly desired the same thing. The life of a scholar is rather lonely, is it not? Few comprehend why our minds ponder the questions they do. Even fewer support our paths to answer them. Should you even manage to find one who can aid in your quest, they rarely wish to follow the same path as you.” Zeref closed his eyes for a moment, pressing a hand to his head. “In the end, I suppose I did get revenge for their refusal to help me, for their refusal to truly explain what my punishment would be. Any intellectual equal I had as a child is now dead, killed by my own curse.”

“Artemis…talking to Zeref about your issues will not solve them.” Butler seemed wary, watching the conversation carefully. In fact, he looked rather alarmed as his charge gazed into the lacrima, an odd gleam in his blue eyes.

Smiling, Artemis merely nodded in response to Butler’s question, not even looking towards his bodyguard. “Any potential intellectual equal I posses is far beyond my age group. Humans these days are rather lax in gaining new knowledge. I suppose that is why the People have excelled in places where we have failed.”

“The People?” Zeref’s eyes opened again, frowning slightly.

“Fairies. I forget, while you may have encountered one, you are unfamiliar with their own terminology.” Taking a moment to stop, Artemis paused in his walk. They had gone beyond the business district, though a few stores were still in view of where they had come from. Instead, they stood in front of the massive Cardia Cathedral, and Artemis moved to sit on one of the benches in front of it. “Mavis seemed disappointed, in case you were wondering. In fact, I do believe she actually cried after meeting the fairy dwarf. Perhaps she imagined something more…mystical, I suppose.”

“You…you introduced her to one?” Zeref looked startled, his eyes widening slightly. “I had assumed…with the fairy in your home, it appeared as if you had forgotten our deal.”

“I am a Fowl, and at heart, we are business men. It would look bad upon our family name if we did not follow through on our agreements, or at least appear to do so.” There was an odd smile on his face at the mention of their methods of dodging agreements through loopholes. “Perhaps the dwarf was not my first fairy caught, but it was the ideal circumstance for Mavis to discover one.”

“Then perhaps some of my anger towards you was unjustified.” Zeref frowned, tilting his head slightly. “You…you are oddly pleasant to speak with. I cannot remember the last time I had a conversation I found myself truly interested in continuing on.”

“Is it perhaps that you still seek out an intellectual equal?”

There was a moment as Zeref seemed to frown, debating with himself. Then, he slowly shook his head. “No. It is not that.” He paused again, his gaze distant as he glanced above him at something. “Mavis could have offered as much, and I have managed to grow detached from her, after all. No…you are interesting because you are like me, yet not like me at all. You remind me of my childhood, yet you make me see that perhaps there was a different path after all. Perhaps if we had met when I was a child…perhaps you could have stopped me, where others had failed.”

For a moment, Artemis was feeling oddly relieved. It was sounding as if Zeref was stepping back from his plans in favor of peace for a brief moment longer. That delay would help Artemis come to terms with what he just might have to do. However, Zeref slowly began to touch his head again, closing his eyes. “Still…you’ve had the misfortune to meet me now instead. No matter how interesting our conversations become, you will never be anything more than a means to an end.” His voice’s tone became darker, and when his hand fell away and allowed Artemis to see his eyes again, the red had returned. “I have enough of a force with me now. Bring me to Fairy Tail, Artemis Fowl. From there, I will take care of the rest of the transportation…and this war will finally begin.”

The chill returned, this time making Artemis freeze for a moment. “Now? Surely, the uprising in your own empire has not been dealt with yet.”

“As you stated yourself, I do not need my army for this task.” Zeref’s red eyes seemed to flash. “Fairy Tail will perish by my own hands…and Mavis will be unable to stop me. Nothing can stop Ankhseram’s death magic, and at the moment, I have complete control.”

Glancing towards Butler, Artemis saw the man’s gaze looking troubled. He was focused on the lacrima, his brows furrowed with a frown on his face. “Are you sure you wish to betray them, Artemis? I know you have some form of a plan…but this seems extreme, even for you.”

His bodyguard would remain loyal, regardless of which side Artemis was on. That was in his job description, but Artemis could see how much it pained him to be put into this situation. “Oh, I certainly do. Fairy Tail may have thought I was aiding them in preparations…but today they will see the truth.” He glanced towards Zeref, realizing the game was starting now. Forcing a smile to etch itself on his face, Artemis nodded towards the black wizard. “And just where do I fit into these plans of yours? True, I did agree to bring you to the guild, but would your magic not kill me as well?”

Zeref made an odd hum, seeming to think about it for a moment. Then, he shrugged. “Oddly, I find myself unconcerned. With knowledge such as yours, I imagine you are quite capable of evading my magic in some form. If not…well, I already have finished my use for you.”

“You would disregard our arrangement?”

“I am not like you, Artemis Fowl. I care little for honor, as few others are willing to hold any value in such a quality. Honesty, perhaps, is important…but honesty and honor, particularly honoring one’s agreements, are different concepts. I speak the truth when I believe it to be true, but if an agreement proves to be degrading to the end result, I cast it aside in favor of obtaining my goals. Surely, with all the plans and schemes you make, you can understand such a logic, can you not?”

In a way, Artemis could see exactly why Zeref believed this. However, it also put Artemis in a situation he did not plan for. Being surrounded by death magic was not something he could guard against. In fact, there was only one thing he knew of that gave any form of resistance to that magic. Recalling a few of the files he had managed to sneak a peak at while in Foaly’s system, Artemis frowned. “I see. Very well, I shall think of something on the way.” However, he was not fond of the plan he was coming up with. He didn’t think anyone would be, in fact. “Butler…as a precaution, would you mind staying behind? Watch over my father…he is the one who hired you, after all.”

“But sir…I was hired to protect you.” Butler stepped forward, his gaze hardening. “If you are diving into a dangerous situation, I will be there to protect you with my life. That is what it means to be in my line of work. You know it too, Artemis.”

His plan was working, right? Artemis couldn’t feel so certain anymore. Zeref could not be relied upon to take the path he said he would take, as his mind often changed on such matters. Deals could not be trusted, and while his words were true for the time being, it would not be long before something contradicted that very plan again. Staring at Butler, Artemis wondered for the first time if he had decided to take too many risks in this plan. However, he swallowed, unable to focus on it for long. Failure was not an option, not at this point. “Are…are you truly certain you wish for this, old friend? I cannot guarantee either of us will come out of this alive.” With Fairy Tail attacking them on top of Zeref’s magic, it was likely they would be at least injured, it not killed.

“I have confidence in you, Artemis. Whatever you are planning, whatever the risks, you intended for them to be in place.” Butler smiled faintly, while Artemis frowned. He was already feeling cold, and he knew his already pale face was likely even paler as he considered what he was about to do. “I will ensure you get through this alive. If all else fails, you will survive this.”

Glancing down at his hands, Artemis smiled faintly at those words. “Yes. Yes, I suppose I will.” He had not wanted it to come to this, but he should have known that it would. “I will be making one small detour before heading towards Fairy Tail, Zeref. If you plan on disregarding my own well-being, there are a few precautions I intend on taking before beginning this war.”

“Fair enough. However, if you delay for too long…I will come to wherever you may be standing, and start my war from there.” Artemis nodded, understanding the threat. Unlike before, Artemis was certain Zeref would act upon this death threat. He was unstable, and he had forgotten the value of life. Glancing towards Butler, Artemis took a deep breath and shook his own head. There was only one method that could give him a chance of surviving this. He just hoped it wouldn’t make matters worse for all of them.


	35. The Price of Protection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fair warning, here is where the story takes a bit of a darker turn. However, it is still a major part of the plot, so I can't say it will be okay to skip this chapter and just move on. You are still welcome to do so if the content makes you uncomfortable.

Whatever it was Artemis Fowl was doing, Zeref was not given the ability to observe. Artemis had left the lacrima resting inside of the branches of a tree, on the outskirts of Magnolia. Likely, the boy was intelligent enough to hope to delay Zeref with some distance. However, Zeref also couldn’t help but wonder what he had in mind. What protection could a forest offer from his curse? Clearly, Tenrou Island had revealed that such natural places had no defense against death magic. Still, Artemis seemed intent and focused, making Zeref wonder what he had missed. 

As promised, Zeref’s wait was short-lived. Artemis returned, with Butler following at a distance. The bodyguard seemed to be growing more wary of his charge every moment, an interesting sight to see. Seeing darkness inside of a loved one often put fear into the hearts of those that cared for him. This bodyguard was loyal, but that fear still forced him to keep his distance. “I am ready. Have you prepared a few of your generals to battle with you?”

By his side, Zeref had August, Jade, and Invel just beyond the boy’s view. With the three of them, he was more than capable of stopping anything Fairy Tail had to offer. Granted, Jade was a weaker Etherious, not even matching the strength of Tartaros, but the other two had surpassed all expectations. August just might even be more powerful than himself, an impressive feat considering Zeref could kill anyone in an instant if he so chose. 

Looking back towards the lacrima, Zeref nodded with a smile. “We’re coming, Mavis. I look forward to seeing you again.” Aware of his history with the girl, the others remained silent. In fact, they had been silent this entire time, following his orders. He’d rather not irritate the boy by revealing he was attacking with someone he knew. However, the more emotional Artemis was, the less likely the boy was to make some sort of plan to interfere. Thus far, Zeref found him to be surprisingly loyal. He spurned his own father, suggested methods of attack, and he was now bringing him directly to the place his prize resided inside of. However, considering how Artemis had oddly been the more moral of his two captors, Zeref could not imagine him truly desiring to be like this. He was not acting like himself, and it made Zeref wary of the boy. The more Zeref tested him, the more it seemed like he was truly determined to reject the world by his side, though. Either way, Zeref would not risk failing at this point in his plans. If it took an emotional shock to stop the young genius from acting, he would provide him with one.

The way the boy reacted to tragedies was alarming as well. The boy had just learned of his own mother’s death, yet he had seemed hardly bothered by the knowledge. Now, he was marching towards a massive betrayal of those he had been working with, and he still wore the same neutral expression on his face. His eyes were as unreadable as ever, leaving Zeref intrigued as to how this boy had learned to mask his strategies so well. Part of Zeref briefly wondered if he was an even better tactician than Mavis, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Their schemes were too unlike each other to truly compare. Mavis was skilled in manipulating people and growing their emotions, gearing her plans towards battle and war. Artemis was skilled in plotting plans devoid of all emotion, geared towards theft and deception. Both were experts in their own fields, but they differed too greatly for Zeref to truly compare the two in terms of skill.

Artemis grabbed the lacrima swiftly, beginning to move away from the forest with an odd silence. While Zeref had known the boy to often enjoy silence when lost in thought, this appeared to be different. His jaw was set, and he looked oddly pale. Before, Zeref had written off the paleness as fear, but now, he could see small hints of sweat on his skin. He had done something that involved a lot of effort in this forest, and it had clearly taken its toll on the boy. Perhaps the forest had not been necessary for protection, but for keeping his actions hidden. Keeping that in mind, Zeref made a note to be prepared for anything from this particular Fowl.

Magnolia came back into view, with his companions remaining oddly silent. “If you are attempting to plot a method to stop me, I suggest not doing it where I can observe you.” Zeref saw Artemis frown towards him, shaking his head.

“I’ve told you before, I wish to stand by your side when your spell is complete.” He paused for a moment, looking upward again. “Eclipse, wasn’t it? An interesting spell…all I wish for is to remember this future when everything we know is erased from history. Then again, perhaps it won’t be. Based on Lucy’s own stories about the device…it makes me inclined to believe that there are infinite parallel timelines, all with infinite possibilities for their futures. Traveling through time does not alter the current future, it only blocks off the original path that brought you there by taking you to an alternate version. After all, she witnessed people come back from a time when this world had been destroyed by dragons…when clearly, such beings have ceased to exist.”

“I’ve since altered the design…but yes. I am rather impressed you’ve determined so much about my plans, Artemis Fowl. Just what good would memories serve you, however?”

“Should you fail and we arrive to a similar future…I intend on stopping you with the knowledge of what happened before.” All things considered, Zeref supposed he did not mind such an occurrence. With how long his life had been, he had already forgotten numerous details about his past. Likely, he would continue to forget more, possibly even the ones from this current timeline after he traveled into the past. Having someone around to stop him from creating a never-ending cycle of time travel could be useful.

Nodding, Zeref leaned back, coming to another realization. Artemis was a very patient child. In a young boy, it was a rare quality to find. His plans involved waiting for years for any form of success. After all, with the design he had set for Neo Eclipse, it would attempt to take both of them back to Zeref’s childhood, when he was only five and his family was still alive. For Artemis, it would take him as far back as the moment he was born. He would relive his entire life, all for the purpose of attempting to stop Zeref. Few would be willing to wait so long, and Zeref found it mildly alarming. Patience was a quality that often lead to success. Zeref’s own impatience with his black magic spells was part of what lead to the curse, after all. If he had perfected them and offered a trade-off for the life returned, he would never have gained the curse for disrupting the balance between life and death. However, he had been too eager to see his brother again. 

Artemis seemed to stop abruptly in the streets, pausing for a moment. Glancing towards him, Zeref narrowed his eyes. He just might teleport himself and his guards there now, if Artemis was backing out. However, Artemis took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead for a moment. Then, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze focused on something by his feet that was outside of Zeref’s view. Shaking his head, Artemis hardened his gaze and began moving forward again after the brief pause. “My apologies, Zeref. I am not feeling the greatest at the moment. It will pass soon enough, I believe.”

Without proof of it being anything else, Zeref simply frowned. Somehow, it didn’t feel right that the boy was suddenly feeling ill. Then again, it wasn’t as if he had any other reason to stop. With the threats Zeref had given him and the opportunity to have his mother back, Artemis would not back out of this unless he were insane, or perhaps completely emotionless. However, the attempt at keeping his bodyguard away proved otherwise on his emotions already. So, Zeref had to settle with the restless feeling that something was off about his partner, unable to place exactly what it was that was unsettling him so much.

“Hey look! It’s Artemis.” A female shout came from behind them, and with it, Artemis stiffened completely. His blue eyes seemed to lock on some distant point ahead of him, standing in the streets and just waiting for them to come. Butler remained a distance away, but the bodyguard seemed to tense at the shout as well. 

Turning his view to the approaching wizards, Zeref smiled faintly in recognition. Natsu and Lucy were both among them, likely with their team returning to the guild. “I thought I smelled ya nearby. You heading back to the guild hall for once? Mavis has been getting eager to run her plan by you.” Natsu grinned at him, standing just next to Artemis’ side.

The young genius still seemed frozen, not responding. He had his eyes closed, as if focused on something intently. “Artemis?” The black haired guy spoke, stepping closer with a frown. “You alright, man? I don’t think I’ve seen you look this spaced out since you first started…” He trailed off, realizing Artemis was not replying.

“Do you think he made Evergreen mad? I mean, he looks a lot like one of her statues right now.” A flying blue cat made the suggestion, glancing around at the rest of their group. 

In the arms of a blue haired girl, a white cat spoke in response. “Nonsense. If he were affected by her magic, he would be made of stone. Clearly, he is still flesh…he just appears to be immobilized by something.”

Zeref noticed a slight twitch of one of Artemis’ fingers, and with it, his expression seemed to tighten in an odd way. His brow furrowed tighter, wrinkles forming near his eyes as he forced them to close even tighter than before. His mouth turned into a grimace, but he still seemed to be struggling to stand his ground. “Do…do you think Zeref finally came for it? I mean…it’s not like any of us know entirely what Zeref is capable of.”

Lucy spoke first, before the scarlet haired wizard frowned in response. “Unlikely. This does not appear to be caused by magic…perhaps his bodyguard would know what ails him.” With that, the group turned towards Butler, who had not moved from his spot standing away from them.

Since they had been speaking from behind Artemis, they had failed to notice the lacrima quite yet. However, now, the girl with blue hair seemed to approach with a frown, moving to grab Artemis’ arm. “While you do that, I’m going to see if I can heal—“ She broke off, blinking in surprise towards Zeref. Her eyes widened, and the black wizard smiled towards her.

“I assure you, he is not ill, nor is he under any form of spell. Whatever is occurring with Artemis is of his own doing.” Zeref watched as the girl took a slight step back at that, putting a bit more distance between them.

Realizing Artemis was not helping, and that he was about to lose the element of surprise, Zeref drew on his magic. Focusing his energy towards the lacrima, he began to strengthen the connection between the two devices. Utilizing the energy within, he created a teleportation spell using the link already established. In seconds, Zeref and his companions appeared before the Fairy Tail wizards, making them all freeze and stare at him with wide eyes. “Hello again, Fairy Tail wizards. I take it you’ve been expecting me?” Zeref tilted his head slightly, smiling darkly at their stricken expressions.

“It really is him…Zeref did something to Artemis…” Lucy had a hand lifted, nearly touching her mouth in shock. By her side, Natsu glared harshly at him, flames dancing in his fists as he looked ready to charge forward and attack.

“Looks like we get the honor of stopping him.” Gray smirked at that, tossing his shirt aside and standing ready to fight. 

Glancing towards him, Natsu slowly began to grin as well. “Sounds about right. Want some back-up with that plan?”

“If we face him together, there’s no way he can stop all of us. We outnumber him and his group, and we should be able to—“

“I can’t stop it.” Artemis finally breathed out some comment, his eyes flashing open. “Now I understand…” He trailed off, touching his head slightly. “Perhaps this was a mistake.” The boy had made a mistake in his plans. Zeref frowned, turning towards him. However, as he did so, he felt an oddly familiar magical aura around him. He knew this magic, the feel of it. The chills it sent through his body, despite knowing he was immortal, were irrefutable. However, before he could shout a warning to his generals and tell them to run, Artemis lost control.

Zeref found himself standing inside of a familiar black haze of magic. It exploded from Artemis, expanding in seconds to encase the entire segment of the street where they stood. Jade attempted to guard herself, hardening her skin, but that was no protection against this form of magic. “L-lord…Zeref…help…” She managed to breath out a few last words, before collapsing entirely. Just before she inhaled her last breath, an odd clarity returned to her eyes. “Domovoi…sorry.” Her hand stretched out towards the bodyguard, before growing limp on the ground as the magic stole away the last of her energy.

His guards had similar reactions, collapsing quickly as the magic penetrated through their defenses placed by Irene. “I…never found…the answer…” August collapsed with those last words, his gaze locked on Zeref with tears in his eyes. His most loyal general reached towards him, as if wishing to be embraced, before his arms fell back to his sides and he died. A bit taken back by the gesture, Zeref turned to see if anyone was surviving in this haze. It grew colder, almost unbearably cold, as Invel’s own magic tried to protect him from the spell. However, unlike August and Jade, he collapsed without a word, dying silently in the dark spell.

The Fairy Tail wizards did not fare any better. “Charle…” The blue cat seemed to be collapsing near the other one, his paw reaching out and touching hers. Wendy was on the ground just behind the cat, already too far gone. 

Charle was growing limp as the blue cat’s eyes welled with tears. “I’m sorry…Happy…for not…” She was unable to even finish her last words before the magic stole away the last of her energy. Happy managed just a few moments longer, shouting her name into the endless haze until he could speak no more.

Natsu attempted to burn away the magic, but it only managed to delay the effects. Nearby, Lucy seemed to be sitting inside of a massive clock, but that clock soon vanished. “Even I cannot survive this death magic. I’m sorry I could not protect you…” With that, the clock vanished in a poof of smoke and left Lucy on the ground.

“Natsu…I’m scared…” She grew weak fairly quickly, not even attempting to get up. Kneeling down by her side, Natsu reached out and pulled her head to his chest, stroking her hair as his flames died out, consumed by Artemis’ death magic.

“I’m right here, Luce. I’ll protect you to the very end.” The celestial wizard managed a weak smile, burying her head into the corner of his scarf, where it rested on his shoulder. Before long, her body was limp, and Natsu’s soon followed after, the two of them collapsed in an odd embrace.

Erza was trying to resist and fight back, her sword drawn and ready to fight. She had managed to even requip a few blades and launch them towards Artemis and Zeref, but she had been too weak to perfect her aim. Most missed by a long shot, though one seemed to hit Artemis’ shoulder. The young genius gasped in pain, touching the sword in his shoulder with a grimace. Wordlessly, Zeref moved and pulled it free, making him gasp in pain and fall to his knees. Soon, the wound vanished with the blade removed, healed as if nothing had happened. 

With her final attack stealing the last of her energy, Erza’s kneeling position gave away and she fell onto her side in the street. Ice seemed to be forming around the final wizard standing, but it faded away just moments after Erza collapsed, his own body giving out. “Everyone…we’ve failed…I’m sorry…” He closed his eyes with those last words, unmoving on the ground. 

Shaking his head, Artemis clutched his hair tightly. “No…I was not supposed to…I did not focus on their lives at all. The plan…they were meant to stay away for the plan…” He seemed to be muttering to himself, much like Zeref had done to try and reason out his own losses of control.

Somewhere in the haze, Artemis’ only friend began to deteriorate as well, falling dead in the streets with the Fairy Tail wizards. Artemis had never even learned the man’s name, if Zeref were to believe the customs of that family. “It matters little if you focus on them or not. The fact that you wished for them to stay away only proves that you valued their lives. Did you not understand what taking on this curse would mean, Artemis Fowl?”

The young genius took a deep breath, holding his arms tightly around his body. “The more one loves life, the more one is forced to take it away. I knew that…and I had practiced controlling my thoughts, avoiding valuing lives for the past moth. I knew it was a possibility that it would come to this…so I separated myself from them. They all became little more than pieces in my plan, pieces meant to play their role and nothing more.”

“Then I suppose their role was to die.” Zeref spoke bluntly, glancing towards Artemis who stared at him with wide eyes. “Plans are meant to be elastic, capable of change. Adjust your plans accordingly…for they will not be coming back.” The magic made him feel a bit light-headed himself, but Zeref found it did not harm him. He wondered why the immortality of the curse would sometimes protect people from this spell, and why other times it would not. Regardless, he supposed he would not be investigating that answer any time soon.

Glancing at the collapsed bodies in the storm, Artemis slowly began to nod. Zeref gave one last glance towards Natsu, before oddly finding his gaze drawn towards August. What question had the man been trying to answer? He had never spoken to Zeref of it, leaving it a mystery. However, kneeling by his side, Zeref smiled faintly. “I am sorry it came to this, August. For what it is worth, I will make an effort to learn of your question…and to seek its answer on your behalf.”

It was the least he could do for the child he had raised to be a soldier. Once his plans were complete, he’d be free to study as much as he desired once more, this time with his family alive to support him. The thought made him feel oddly pleasant, and eager for this war to be done with. The magic around them was slowly calming, and Artemis seemed to be reigning the power in. He was doing even better than Zeref had done when he gained the curse, controlling it for far longer than he had witnessed in any newly cursed wizards. “You are correct. Mourning them will only make this worse.” Artemis rose to his feet, turning around to face the path he had once been taking. “It is time for me to begin playing a more active role in my plans. Fairy Tail will fall…and it will be by my hand, one way or another.” Artemis gave one last glance towards the fallen bodyguard, hardening his gaze. “I am sorry, old friend. We do not have time for a proper burial…nor do I have the time to attempt to bring you back. Rest well…I promise to end this nightmare soon.”


	36. Master of Contradictions

Artemis was struggling to lock away his own reaction to what had just occurred. When he realized he needed defense against the curse, his thoughts had immediately moved to gaining the curse himself. Based on the People’s own archives, there was no way to dispel that death magic or guard against it. So, immortality was his only answer. Since it simply took an attempt at resurrection to gain it, Artemis had borrowed one of the old spells in Foaly’s database. Altering one small rune in the magic circle had been enough to render it useless, though it was close enough to resurrection for his body to be cursed. The instant he gained the curse, he watched the forest around him die. It had taken a few moments of focusing on his plan for the death to stop. However, it had shown him that mental control was all it took to reign in the curse. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so difficult, he had thought. Then, Natsu and his team returned. Along with it, the curse seemed to lash out with a vengeance just to prove him wrong.

He had been so lost in his own exhaustion and pain from the uncontrollable magic that he hadn’t even been able to watch the end results. That did not stop him from imagining it. It had been shocking to realize he was capable of such a thing now. True, he had known mentally that he’d been able to utilize that death magic, but witnessing it in action was entirely different. Shock and pain had mixed together, realizing that even the slight precaution of distance had not saved Butler. The bodyguard was gone, and they hadn’t even managed to say any last words to each other. Artemis should have fought harder to force him to stay behind, but he had done nothing. In the end, Artemis was his murderer, just like he had murdered Natsu and his team. 

It felt like it took hours to finish the five-minute walk from that disaster scene to Fairy Tail. Artemis struggled with keeping himself focused on the plan. Really, he was just trying to stay focused on anything other than what he had just done. In his mind, he played classical music, tried reciting epic poems, ran through the entire list of known elements then worked towards creating and balancing chemical equations in his mind. Some of it managed to keep him distracted, but the emptiness he felt did not fade away. This must be why Zeref ended up like this. Suddenly, Artemis could clearly see why the man would so badly desire to change his past. If it meant even alleviating a fragment of what he felt now, Artemis was certain he’d start a war for it as well.

Artemis barely managed to hold it together until they walked through the guild hall doors. Inside, he saw the few members still lingering around. Mira smiled and waved at him at first, before her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed Zeref. “Artemis…why did you bring him here?”

Sitting on the bar in front of her, Mavis narrowed her eyes and rose to her feet. “I was wondering the same thing. Then again, it does not surprise me. Your absence from our plans was noted, and I have been expecting you to be arriving with him any moment now.”

His blue eyes focused on her, and he gave her a weak smile. However, it looked far more disturbing than any of his vampire-like grins before. This time, his eyes held no light, giving the expression a dead look that matched the hollowness Artemis was beginning to feel. “I suspected you’d plan for me. This is why I’ve come with a surprise of my own.” His voice was bland as well, almost monotone.

“Hey, is something wrong with the kid?” Cana spoke, glancing up from her beer with a frown. Next to her, her father seemed to narrow his eyes as well.

“He looks like he’s seen a ghost. Knowing Artemis, it wouldn’t surprise me if he managed to find one, though.”

At another table, Holly was stationed with a few other LEP members. Ever since the threat of Zeref came to light, there was always a recon squad watching for his appearance. Now, she seemed to be busy speaking over her headset, while the others quickly vanished from sight as they activated their shields. “Not quite a ghost, but he was just standing before multiple corpses.” Zeref placed a hand on Artemis’ shoulder, an oddly proud look in his dark gaze. Somehow, Artemis wasn’t certain if he should feel better or worse from that look. “Keep the end goal in mind, Fowl. Do you wish to see them again or not?”

Swallowing, Artemis closed his hands into fists. Butler, his mother, and his father, he would get them all back. Only one lived, but he had alienated his father beyond salvaging their relationship now. “The plan will succeed. It is normal for mistakes to occur in that stage of planning…due to the same overconfidence and arrogance I expressed. From this point onward, I will not make the same mistakes. Everything will go according to the plan.”

“Fairy Tail will stop you. I understand why you’d wish to help him, Artemis. At one time, I did too…” Mavis bit her lip, glancing towards Zeref. “I still want to help him. Part of me always will, but this is not something we can let happen. If Zeref gains Fairy Heart, there’s no telling what he’ll do. Everything we love, our entire family…he will destroy it all. I don’t want to watch someone I love destroy the rest of my family…I wouldn’t be able to take it.”

“Then I suggest you leave.” Artemis spoke calmly, making Zeref narrow his eyes for a moment. Then, he glanced at the spot Artemis was staring at, smiling faintly.

“Mavis. It has been a long time.”

His comment was ignored, while Mavis nodded towards the wizards. “I’m sorry, Artemis. We could have been good friends…no, we were good friends. I wanted to let you into this family, but I can’t let you hurt them like this.”

With that, Mira moved forward from behind the counter, her entire form changing. He saw her demon form, with her white hair spiking upward unnaturally as her clothes transformed into a revealing leotard around her body. “We will protect our guild, no matter who we face.”

“You were kind to me…I did not wish to watch you die.” Artemis felt the pounding return with those words, and he touched his head. “Zeref…locate Fairy Heart. I do believe my own mindset is far more capable of dealing with them than yours.”

The black wizard smiled, nodding towards him. “Control is one thing, but uncontrolled allows for much greater space covered.” He glanced towards Mavis one last time, inclining his head slightly. “I’m certain you recall the difference, Mavis. The boy surprised me as well, performing black magic for no other purpose than to gain this…” He trailed off, watching as Artemis’ felt the pressure build within his body. It hurt, just like it had both times previously. Could he not just release it and stop resisting? However, he supposed that would defeat the purpose. It was unnatural for his magic to act out like this. In fact, he had rarely used magic at all in the past. The very sensation was foreign to his body, and it was instinctual for him to reject the unrecognized sensation. Each time he told himself to just let it release, his body clamped down harder to try and prevent it from exploding outwards.

Gasping slightly, Mavis tried to shout out a warning. However, her words were cut off as Artemis was drowned in black magic. It swarmed the entire guild hall, shouts echoing around him as it covered the moving forms of wizards all around him. Mavis and Zeref were the only two that remained unaffected by the magic. All of the other wizards slowly began to collapse as the black magic effectively drained away every ounce of energy in their bodies. Feeling the exhaustion weighing on himself, Artemis crouched on the ground, gasping for air. He wanted this magic to stop, to get rid of it as quickly as possible, but he knew that might not be an option. He desperately hoped this plan would work, because otherwise, he was in for an uncomfortable eternity as his future. 

Artemis vaguely heard a door being opened and shut, and he became aware that Mavis and Zeref were no longer with him. With the magic surrounding him dying down, Artemis slowly sat up and gazed at the aftermath. Wizards were scattered around on the floor, in various poses as they collapsed in death. Cana seemed to be one of the few remaining in a chair, her arm dangling by the table. Her father was on the ground next to her, looking like he had attempted to reach her to protect her from the magic.

Near the request board, Nab had fallen and a few requests seemed to have come down with him. While Alzack had fallen out of his chair when he died, Bisca remained with Asuka now loosely clenched in her arms. Others still littered the room, and the sight made Artemis feel ill. He had caused this. There was no excuse for such actions. Perhaps he really was his father’s child after all, capable of being in a dark guild without care for the end result of such a choice. Still, he tried to ignore it and rose to his feet. Glancing around, he saw the front door of the guild had been given odd runic markings around the edges. They looked like magic circles, interwoven and speaking towards time travel. Running his hand across the surface, Artemis realized Zeref had established this before rushing off to obtain Fairy Heart. He had little time left to stop it.

Scanning the spell, Artemis quickly found the rune he was looking for. Moving quickly, he pressed his palm to the surface of it, focusing on the intent of the rune. With a surge of energy, Artemis changed the single piece of the spell, hopefully giving it the effect he needed. However, he was already exhausted. He didn't know if he could finish this or not, not when he would need to stop Zeref from stepping through the gate once it was active.

Rising weakly to his feet, Artemis stood back and gazed at the door. Really, the runic markings did make it look rather decorative and grand. Fairy Tail should consider adding in some form of decoration of that nature around the rest of the guild hall as well. Lost in thought, he did not notice the approach of Zeref, though when he glanced at the black wizard, he was a bit startled by the sudden change in appearance. “Fairy Heart.” He explained the change from all dark to light with two words. Instead of black hair, his hair was now pure blond. Light seemed to emanate from him in an odd golden aura, with his robes burned away in favor of white and gold colors only. Not a single trace of black remained as Zeref smiled and lifted his hand towards the door. “And now…Neo Eclipse is ready. Just one step through those doors, and everything will be changed. I will finally be able to find my peace.”

The light from his body seemed to have pulsed outward, spreading into the door. As it did, the wooden doors seemed to illuminate with magic. Each rune on the surface glowed, taking in the same color as the door itself transformed. No longer did it look like the plain entrance to Fairy Tail. Instead, it grew in size, breaking the walls keeping it in place and transforming into a true gate. The color changed, looking dark and black with ornate golden runes on the surface. Everything about it seemed to scream dark magic, yet there was a lightness in the feeling of its aura that Artemis suspected was the result of Fairy Heart.

With the growing gate, the guild hall itself seemed to fall into ruins. Massive holes formed in the front wall and parts of the roof were torn through, the debris falling somewhere outside or on other parts of the guild hall. Some fell through the roof completely, crashing into the guild hall and creating more of a ruined effect. With the gate finished, Artemis had an oddly calm certainty that right now, he was standing in the same place Charle envisioned him being so long ago. This was her vision, seeing the ruined state of Fairy Tail with him and Zeref standing together before the Eclipse Gate. Oddly, that thought was what made him smile, the first smile he had managed since killing anyone with his curse.

“It was a pleasure working with you, Black Wizard.” Artemis turned towards him, holding out his hand. Zeref frowned, narrowing his eyes at Artemis’ palm for a moment. Then, he seemed to slowly take it, shaking Artemis’ hand with a faint smile.

“I had suspected a betrayal from you at some point…but I suppose one never came. For that, I suppose I owe you an apology. You truly are a man of honesty and honor…a rare sight these days when people value little beyond their own needs.” 

Nodding, Artemis almost felt guilty about what he was about to do. He kept the smile on his face, and after a moment, he drew on his newly strengthened magic. This was the other reason he needed the curse. Without it, his magic was too weak to accomplish much of anything. Now, he saw magic circles forming behind Zeref, shaping the spell he had created that would hopefully overpower any defenses Zeref had given himself. The curse healed any physical injury, and anything life-threatening, but Artemis could only hope that it would not work and heal this as well. 

“And I suppose I owe you one as well.” Artemis pulled his hand back, focusing on his spell as he spoke. It was still out of Zeref’s sight, but his final circle would have to get Zeref’s notice. “For not seeing the truth behind your suffering. I suppose this curse truly is difficult to manage. I never should have attempted to mimic it, not even if it meant obtaining enough wealth to ensure my family never had to concern ourselves with such matters again.”

“Oddly, I find myself thinking that if anyone could cope with such a curse, it would be you.” Artemis bit his tongue to avoid countering the black wizard who was studying him with a frown. “Your way of thinking…the way you act and move, it shows that you hold little value for other lives already. Yet…you do not attempt to destroy them, despite your lack of concern for them. If you had maintained this curse for any duration of time, I suspect you yourself would have realized this as well.” 

Was that really the kind of person he was? Staring at his hands, Artemis suddenly found himself feeling disgusted. The ease at which he had controlled this curse thus far, it wasn’t right. He should have been out of control, killing nearly everyone in Magnolia after his reckless decision. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to truly value the lives of anyone in town either. Fairy Tail had been the only place he knew anyone at, and their lives were important for his plans, yet not much beyond that. Grimacing, Artemis closed his eyes. Lives had to matter beyond that. If that was all they were, then why would his own existence be important either? Vowing to at least attempt to listen to some of Mother’s advice this time around, Artemis simply nodded in response to the black wizard.

Taking a deep breath, Artemis met Zeref’s eyes afterwords. “If you had lived my life, then perhaps you would understand why I cannot thank you for those words.” Zeref did not reply, instead frowning slightly.

“Magic…it feels like—“ He broke off, his eyes growing wide. However, Artemis was nearly finished with his spell already. He added in the final magic circle, one that was dark blue in color to match the others directly in front of him. With a wave of his hand, he sent it pulsing towards Zeref. The others converged on him as well, trapping him in a box-like structure of circles. “Fowl, what have you done? All of this time…and you were planning to—“

Turning away, Artemis began walking towards the gate. “The past will be altered, Zeref. That much I assure you. However…not in the way you desire. Sometimes, the dead are meant to stay dead. The resurrected are meant to be left alone…and the cursed are meant to be cured.” With his palm pressed to the gateway, Artemis watched as his spell seemed to glow brighter, finishing its casting. “I will find you again…and this time, I will end your curse completely, without this war you seem to think is your only option.” Zeref was already collapsed however, a result of the immensely powerful sleeping spell Artemis had devised. Not wanting to waste any more time, Artemis pressed open the gate, seeing white light flashing on the other side. Hoping the change he had made was enough, Artemis stepped through, blacking out as warmth seemed to consume his body until he no longer felt it at all.


	37. Decency in a Dark Heart

When Artemis came to, he was sitting inside of his room in Fowl Manor. It was dark outside, with the faint glow of moonlight coming in from his window. In his bed, Artemis could feel the mattress bending ever so slightly from his weight, just as it was designed to do to try and provide comfort for anyone sleeping on the surface. However, as Artemis glanced down at his hands, he couldn’t help but smile. They were small, far smaller than the hands he had grown used to seeing. Not only that, but his weight felt unusual compared to normal. When he moved to the end of his bed, Artemis found that his feet barely touched the ground sitting in that spot. Pushing himself off the bed, Artemis glanced around as he noticed the change in his height as well. Everything seemed slightly different, which was to be expected since he planned to go back in time to the moment he was five years old.

That rune he had altered in Zeref’s spell was the one that bound it to his own past. Artemis had shifted it, hopefully sending him back into his own past rather than centuries ago. It appeared to have worked, making Artemis move towards the door quietly. He needed a reflective surface to confirm his suspicions, even though he was nearly certain of it by his own appearance alone. With confidence, Artemis made his way to the bathroom glancing at the walls on occasion. He saw a painting hung on one of them that he was certain Father had sold a while ago, to help fund his research on Zeref. With it still here, Artemis realized things truly were exactly as they had been when he was five years old.

In the bathroom, Artemis stood in front of a floor-length mirror. Most bathrooms would only have the one above the sink, allowing a view of the upper body, but Artemis’ mother had wished to see more of herself when dressing for parties and outings with his father. The mirror Artemis gazed in now made the young genius blink a few times in surprise. It would take some adjusting to get used to his altered age, but as he stared at the boy with rounder cheeks than he was used to, barely taller than the sink in the bathroom, he realized he had succeeded. His hair was shorter than his older self’s, but oddly messier and less cared for. What bothered him more, however, were the pajamas he was wearing. They must have been chosen by Mother. He would never wear the navy blue pajamas, decorated with white lemurs all across the surface. It was childish and immature. Then again, he supposed he was a mere child again.

With the light on in the bathroom, Artemis had not taken the time to consider how his parents would react. He heard footsteps coming down the hall, making him turn around to see his mother standing behind him. Freezing, Artemis’ eyes grew wide. She was dead just moments ago. Now, she was alive and well. Everything truly was fixed. As he looked up to meet her eyes, Artemis fought back an odd surge of warmth as he saw a clarity in them that had not been there for years. This woman before him, dressed in dark red robes, was the Angeline Fowl of his childhood. Her sanity had returned.

“Arty, is something wrong?” His mother smiled towards him, seeing the boy standing in the bathroom with wide eyes. “I heard you getting up and wanted to make sure my boy was doing well.”

When he was five, Artemis’ vocabulary had not been quite the same. Sure, he had excelled far more than other children, but Artemis did not reach his twelve-year old self’s intelligence overnight. “No, Mother.” He still spoke formally, however. He hoped he didn’t alarm them too much with his differences. 

“Well, you better get back to bed. We’ve got visitors coming tomorrow, Arty. Don’t you remember?” Frowning, Artemis tried to recall what had changed when he turned five. Then, it hit him. Butler was hired around this time, as his father nearly completed his exit from Grimoire Heart. 

Nodding, Artemis gave his mother a pained smile. The memory of his bodyguard collapsed in Magnolia’s city streets flashed in his mind. It was his fault. All of their deaths were his fault. In the end, he hadn’t cared either. Artemis glanced back at the mirror again, this time feeling an odd sense of horror. Zeref was right. He was the perfect person to bear that curse, yet because of that, he would never be anything but an inhuman monster. “Mother…if I were like Father, a criminal, would you still be proud of me?” He felt oddly heavy, this guilt lingering in him unlike any other emotion he had felt. He couldn’t expel it like he did with most of his annoying emotions. All he could do was push back the repeating images of the faces that had died because of him, and even that only dulled the effects of his inner turmoil.

He felt his mother come closer, lifting him into her arms. Artemis frowned at the sensation, nearly telling her to put him down, but then decided against it. He was five again, after all. He would have to get used to being treated like a younger child once more. “Oh, Arty. Did you have a bad dream?”

Since he couldn’t explain the truth, Artemis slowly nodded. His mother held him tighter, hugging him close. His head leaned against her shoulder, with her brown hair tickling his forehead. “Worry not, it is all over. Even if you were the worst criminal alive, even more evil than Zeref himself, you’d still be my son. No matter what, I’ll always love both of my boys. After all, we are a family, Arty, and family sticks together no matter what happens.”

He had thought it would make something change, hearing that. Oddly, the numbness remained. “I killed people. I didn’t care that they were dying.” He needed to talk to someone about it. Maybe his mother would think it was nothing more than a dream, but it was difficult to keep it building inside of him. Psychology said it was bad to do so, after all, so it was reasonable for him to attempt to explain to to someone. He just wished it was someone who would understand. Oddly, Zeref’s face flashed in his mind at that, but he quickly banished the thought. It wasn’t as if he were friends with the black wizard. Perhaps Zeref would understand, but that was the man that had made things this bad in the first place. If Zeref had not suggested that Artemis was perfect for the curse, he would not be dealing with the conflicting emotions over who he had become.

His mother patted the back of his head, like soothing a baby. “It’s alright. No one died, Artemis. And if you truly did hurt someone, I know you’d be upset. After all, you are a kind boy. Maybe your father taught you to be distant from others…but you do understand the difference between right and wrong.” Closing his eyes, Artemis realized this wasn’t going to help. However, he couldn’t let his mother know that. The only people who would understand were those that had killed themselves. Really, he was limited in options. Zeref wouldn’t be a good choice, and his father would think it to be little beyond a dream. Butler wasn’t his friend at this point in time, either, nor was Artemis certain of if the bodyguard had actually killed in his past or not, despite his obvious capability of doing so.

When his mother placed him back in his bed and tucked him in, Artemis was still lost in thought. Perhaps there was one person who would understand. A face flashed in his mind, a face with nut-brown skin and cropped auburn hair framing her determined expression. Getting in contact with that person would be a challenge, and getting her to agree to speak with him would be even more difficult. However, Artemis needed an impartial party, one who would not simply feed him lines because they were required to by social conventions. So, keeping the lights off this time, Artemis quietly made his way to his workshop after he heard his mother return to his room.

There, he sat down at the workbench, seeing it oddly empty of projects. He had not exactly been an inventor at the age of five. More of his time was spent studying than anything else. It wasn’t until he was seven that he reached his experimentation stage, where he tried to prove his own theories in this room with tests and the like. Right now, he still had the toolbox he needed, as well as a few unused lacrimas in the room. Perhaps magic was not the ideal source, but there was nothing like fairy technology above ground that he could use. So, he got to work. The lacrima was already designed for communication, but he needed it to go a step further. It needed to be able to tap into the feeds of Foaly’s communication network, reaching underground and syncing with the electrical impulses used between their own devices. That meant it had to emit sound-waves, and pick them up wirelessly. With the interesting challenge before him, Artemis found himself smiling as he worked. The distraction did wonders for his troubled mind, though it did not ease the heaviness in his heart. It felt like nothing truly would, especially not when he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about meeting Butler again tomorrow. How could he face that man again? Butler wouldn’t even remember, but Artemis always would. 

Light was faintly streaming through the window when Artemis finished. Activating it, he tried to listen only at first. He heard a few odd comments, orders being given to fairies about jobs underground. Switching around, he tried to locate a personal channel directly to Holly Short. Eventually, he found it. Since the lacrima had a video component as well, it displayed the image from the headset of each fairy he connected with. This one seemed to be showing him Holly’s very face, as she took her helmet off and landed by a tree. She was completing the Ritual, he realized.

Smiling, Artemis was pleased to see her magic was back. “Holly.” He spoke her name, and the fairy frowned, glancing at her helmet. Placing it back on, she began getting to work while speaking.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that. What’s up?” She then paused, frowning for a moment. “Why did you open up a private line, too? Is there some personal emergency going on?”

Taking a deep breath, Artemis closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Captain. But I needed to keep this conversation private.”

There was another pause. “Do I know you?”

Artemis glanced at the lacrima, then towards the closed door. No one would be disturbing him for a while, he imagined. Sunrise came early around Fowl Manor, and usually, his parents would be up a few hours afterwords. “No. However…I am in need of some form of aid, from an impartial party. You seemed to be one of my best options at the moment.”

“Sorry, but I’m kinda busy at the moment. Recon officers aren’t around to just call whenever you need them.”

Holly sounded ready to hang up, but the lacrima was magic and could not be turned off like her helmet could. So, Artemis closed his eyes and continued speaking. “Holly…have you ever been forced to kill someone while on duty? Or even while not on duty, for that matter?”

The elf stopped, her hand hovering near the helmet. “Are…are you confessing to a murder? No offense, but you sound kinda young to be a killer.”

His voice was high pitched compared to before, and his smaller mouth made him frown at the difficulty he had enunciating his words as a result. “Yes and no. I’ve killed…but no one even remembers what I’ve done. Everyone has forgotten…but I can’t help but feel it eating away at me. Turning myself in would be foolish…as you’ve stated yourself, I sound and look far too young to be a killer. I would be laughed off, seen as little but a joke.”

“How old are you?” Holly seemed to be stopping her ritual, sitting near the tree and gazing up at the sky.

“Five.” Artemis provided his body’s age, since it was likely the most accurate estimate. “How…how do you make the guilt go away? Is there any way…to make sure you become a better person? Holly, I know I’ve been…distant with people. I can’t say I have friends, and my family…let’s just say my father is rather strict, and lives a dark life himself. When I killed, I brushed it aside as if there was little issue with it. I didn’t care…even if it was someone I knew. It…when I look at myself, I can’t help but think I’m a monster for that. For not caring about their deaths.”

Artemis wished he could see Holly’s expression. The elf was still focused upward, giving Artemis a view of the sky instead. “I’ve been forced to shoot a few convicts in my time. Can’t say it’s ever a pleasant experience.” Holly inhaled deeply, shaking her head. “Look…I don’t know how you got my name, or how you managed to contact me…but if you need help, find a psychologist or something. I’m not cut out for that kind of work…but I will tell you that what got me by was knowing it was better than the alternative. Stopping criminals is always better than letting them run free and hurt more people, kid. If you can tell yourself the world is better off for your actions, it’ll help you get through it.”

Thinking about how Zeref was still alive, likely on Tenrou Island at this very moment, Artemis shuddered. “I…I can’t be certain, Captain. What about my own heartlessness? My own…detachment from others caused it. If I cannot connect to others my own age, what more can I do to ensure I don’t become a monster that can kill without caring?”

“Everyone cares, kid. If you killed without caring, you wouldn’t have called me now. That guilt you feel? That’s what happens when you feel bad about it.” She seemed to pause for a moment. “Anyway, making friends is still making friends, regardless of if they’re your own age.” She paused again, seeming to think for a while. “Tell you what, if you need someone to talk to about this…if you feel like you’re going to do something stupid again and go berserk, give me a call. I’ll be your friend, and you can call me and ask me to stop you if you ever need me. That’s what friends do for each other. And, if I’m ever in a bind, you’ll do the same for me.”

Suddenly, Artemis felt cold. Holly wanted to be his friend, after everything she didn’t remember. She probably didn't even realize she was talking to a human. “Thank you, Holly." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes. "But I do not think you would be so willing to extend that offer if you knew who I was. For now, I am content with the small advice you’ve given.”

“Not even going to give me a name? That’s harsh, friend. Figured you’d at least try before giving up so easily, since you were whining so much about not having a friend.”

Chuckling, Artemis smiled faintly. “Very well, Captain. Though, do not say I did not warn you. My name is Artemis Fowl II, and it is a pleasure to be considered your friend. Do take care, Holly. I won’t disturb you further, as I am certain you have work to get done.” Turning off the lacrima, Artemis felt that smile linger on his face. He had just made his first friend that wasn’t introduced to him through the family. Oddly, he couldn’t help but feel pleased with the idea. This was how he was going to turn around his life and become a better person. He was going to grow a sense of decency inside of him, by trying to relate to others and grow friendships that he had shunned so much in the past. First, however, he needed to get to work. Zeref needed to be stopped now, before he gained control over his curse. That meant that Artemis needed to get to Tenrou Island without his parents finding out about his plans. Setting aside his most recent creation, Artemis pulled out a sheet of paper and began brainstorming yet another scheme to capture the infamous black wizard again.


	38. Growing Friendship

The call had come on a rather troubling day for Holly Short. She had just finished a mission on a town called Hamburg, where everything had gone disastrously wrong. She had been sent above ground for an ordinary recon mission, scouting out reports of a goblin sighting above ground. While it was rare, sometimes a goblin managed to falsify a visa to get above ground, if he had outside help at least. They weren’t all that bright, but if they wanted something badly enough, they were willing to make partners to get work done. So, when Foaly’s security cameras in Hamburg picked up on an odd creature wielding fireballs in town, Holly was sent to take a look.

She had been flying overhead like usual, her cameras pointed on scene to make sure Foaly and Root could see what was going on. Like usual protocol, once she had spotted the goblin, she had notified Root to send in retrieval to take the goblin away. At least it wasn’t a troll. That would have been an even greater disaster. The real issue with the goblin came when some wizards approached. They saw his flames as a challenge, offering to take the goblin up on his taunts for a fight. A few of the wizards had even laughed off the scaly appearance of the goblin, blaming it on some form of transformation magic sold in stores. At least that explanation could have saved them a few mind wipes. However, that issue changed when the goblin saw them as a real threat. Rather than the warning fireballs he had been tossing around before, the goblin now took them seriously and launched them as true attacks. 

With retrieval still fifteen minutes away, Holly had made a split second decision. A nearby building had gone up in flames, and people were shouting for help all around. So, she had flown down, shielded to try and deal with the goblin herself. Needless to say, when a stray fireball blasted into her shoulder, barely avoiding singing her skin thanks to Foaly’s heat-resistant LEP uniform, her shield slipped. In front of the entire city of Hamburg that was already in mass panic, a short-statured elf came into view with a pair of wings strapped onto her back, hovering in the sky. Retrieval had arrived a few minutes later, but the damage had already been done. Commander Root had been forced to send in yet another team, this one for a full round of mind wipes on everyone in town. Holly had been ordered to recharge her magic and go right back to headquarters for punishment, but she had delayed that little order for as long as possible. She wouldn’t be above ground again for a long time, not after a mistake like that one.

Likely, the mind-wipes had been finished by the time Holly completed the Ritual. What was on her mind, however, was the strangest communication log she had ever received. First of all, it had come over on a private line. The only people able to create a private line on her headset were Foaly and the Commander himself. The fact that it had been a mere child was even more shocking. Foaly would need to update his systems if children were able to hack into them. Still, Holly found it hard to believe that the person she was speaking to was only five. There had been something in the way he spoke that made her feel like he was older, but the almost-lisp in his words confirmed that he was still a child, even if a few years older than he claimed.

Artemis Fowl was not a name she knew, either. Normally, Holly would have disregarded the message entirely. However, it unnerved her. A child claimed to have murdered someone, without anyone knowing about it. Not only that, but he made it sound as if he had a troubling family life. Part of her wondered if that boy’s father had somehow forced him to do it, based on the pained tone in his voice and the almost desperate plea for some answer as to his character. When Artemis had called himself a monster, Holly couldn’t help but feel sorry for the child. So, she did the only thing she could given the odd situation. She offered to listen to his tales, and to be the friend the child seemed to so desperately need. When she got back, she planned to go to Foaly and have the centaur dig up some info on the kid. She would get him out of the situation he was in that was forcing him to be a killer. That was how Holly was going to fix things for him, even if the kid seemed to think he was fine just learning how to cope with his guilty conscience alone.

Since she knew she had already pushed her luck by staying above ground this long, Holly began making her flight back towards Haven. The morning weather was amazing, with a clear sky and the sun hovering in an ocean of blue. The warmth on her skin felt amazing, though she knew eventually being above ground would take its toll. Fairies weren’t used to high exposure to sunlight, and as a result, their skin burned easy. As she flew, she heard an incoming connection from down below over her headset. Pressing a button just near where it rested on her ear, Holly opened the channel for the voice to come through.

“Well, good morning, Miss Short. You do realize Root’s going to skin you alive for waiting so long to get back down here.” The familiar voice of Foaly, one of Holly’s only friends, came over the line.

Grimacing, Holly tried to focus on her flight. “Don’t remind me. I’ve just had one of the worst days of my life…yet somehow, what sticks with me more than my screw up in Hamburg is this weird call I got yesterday.”

“Ooh, don’t tell me you’re going on another date with that trigger happy grunt again. What was his name?” Foaly loved teasing her, about all kinds of things. After her failed attempts at relationships, Holly had buckled down and settled for the life of a working fairy, rather than a family girl. Being an LEP captain was the best job she could imagine, giving her the ability to go above ground for jobs while protecting the home she loved so much. 

Shaking her head at the centaur, Holly couldn’t help but feel the hints of a smile on her face under her visor. “Trouble, and no, it wasn’t him. If you ask me, you’ve gotta update your system soon. Some kid managed to hack into it and created a private line to my com system.”

There was a pause before Foaly replied. “No…that didn’t happen. Even if it was a private line, I’d still have been able to detect it.” He seemed to pause again, likely working on trying to trace back whatever had happened.

Shrugging, Holly took a turn towards one of the chutes that would lead her underground. “I’m not the tech person here, Foaly. All I know is that it happened…and that the person on the other end of the line was a child.” She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip. “He…he sounded like he needed help, Foaly. The kid said he was only five…but he was asking me how to handle the guilt of killing someone.”

“He asked you what?” The centaur sounded stunned. “Sure, criminals get a bit rowdy…but the LEP rarely has incidents that result in death. Why the heck did the kid even…” Foaly trailed off, clearly just as bothered as she was.

“Beats me. Sounds like he’s had a rough time. The kid gave me a few vague details about his life…makes me think his father is a criminal, and for that, I wanted to check it with you.”

The centaur seemed to be ready for this, his voice perking up now that she had moved away from the grim subject of her former conversation. “You got a name for me, then? I can search our records…but if his father wasn’t arrested, we likely won’t have anything on him.”

“Fowl. The kid’s name was Fowl.” Holly was on her way underground now, riding a public shuttle after flashing her badge towards the one directing traffic back below ground. The entire center for directing shuttles was built with hiding in mind, covered in cam foil to avoid detection. In the event that a mud man walked inside, the interior looked like an office building, with a small help desk at the front with a single fairy directing people towards various waiting rooms. Holly had been given the first shuttle back below ground due to her position, and she was seated inside. “I think I actually became friends with him.”

“Aww…how sweet. When’s the honeymoon?”

Holly’s cheeks turned red at Foaly’s sniggering over the coms, glaring harshly into her visor. “He’s five, Foaly! Seriously, what kind of an elf do you think I am?”

“One willing to date Trouble Kelp.” Holly had to give him that much, and she sighed in response. “Alright…the search just finished up. Hate to break it to you, but we’ve got no records for anyone by the last name of Fowl. No arrests, no tickets, no fines…I even tried looking for minor parking violations and came up with nothing.”

Holly frowned at that, thinking back to the boy again. How was she supposed to get in contact with him then? He had seemed so troubled, yet nothing had really made much of a difference. At the end, his voice had seemed to perk up ever so slightly, but that dejected tone had remained. He hated himself for whatever had happened, and he had come to her for help. She didn’t know why the boy trusted her, or how he even knew her. Maybe he just knew her reputation as the LEP’s first female captain. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he hacked into her com system before anyone else’s. Either way, she felt oddly responsible for him now that he had come to her for help.

Foaly seemed to be pausing again, still clicking away at his computer. “So…you got a plan to explain this all to Root? Not only did you screw up the mission, but you also stayed above ground for hours after your scheduled return.”

“Well…the call explains some of that.” Foaly made a slight clicking noise with his teeth, likely still bothered by the failure of his own system. Continuing on, Holly shook her head. “As for the rest…I just planned to beg him to not can me right away. I screwed up, that’s all there is to it. I should have just stayed and observed…following protocol by waiting for retrieval to show up. I panicked over the fires…and I almost revealed the People to all of Hamburg, if not farther out, as a result.”

“Aha! I finally found it.” Foaly seemed to have discovered something, making Holly sigh. The centaur then quickly returned to their actual conversation. “Anyway, don’t worry too much. You know Root always goes soft on you. He’ll stick you with some grunt work for a few months, but you won’t be completely out of a job over this. Now, as for that call…it actually looks rather strange. I’ve finally found what hacked into the system…and it is tracing back to an unknown source. Can’t figure out where or what it is…but here’s the really interesting bit. Traces of ethernano have been logged in the system, lingering on the radio waves that had been sent to your headgear.”

Traces of ethernano meant magic. The thought made Holly frown. Whoever did this was incredibly skilled. They had somehow combined magic and technology into one, hacking into Foaly’s systems with magic since it was obvious they weren’t going to outsmart the centaur in computer technology. However, very few of the fairy races could have done it. The kid might have been an elf like her, but elves normally were best with healing magic, not stuff like this. The other option would be a pixie, which could manage a bit of variety with their magic, if they were born with any strength in the skill at all.

“So…a pixie or an elf, huh? Interesting. Maybe I’ll try and do some digging around my home. I’ve got a few neighbors with kids…though not many.” Children were rare amongst the People. Given their longevity, the decision to raise a child was given far more weight to them than it was above ground. They could afford to wait and have children later, unlike mud men. So, most families didn’t start until a fairy was over a century old, and even then, they rarely produced more than one child. 

The centaur seemed to pause for a moment, shaking his head with a sigh. “Probably. I’ll keep doing some digging on that name, see what I come up with. I’d actually like to speak to the guy who managed to do this. You do realize how ingenious this was, right? Hacking into tech with a magic spell…it’s unheard of. I’ve gotta do some research on how to block it out…I’ll likely need some form of ethernano resistant material to block magic from the receptors inside the com system…” He trailed off, speaking out loud as he brainstormed his ideas for updating the systems.

Meanwhile, Holly arrived at the shuttle port below ground, passing through and beginning to make her way through Haven towards LEP headquarters. An odd beeping on her headset informed her that someone else was joining the conversation. Holly was expecting to hear Root, however, the voice she heard was not his. “Ah, sorry to interrupt. If you are busy speaking with someone else, I can delay this matter for a moment.” It was the kid again, making Holly freeze. On the other end of the line, Foaly seemed to be well enough to respond, however.

“You’re…this is the same thing as the last time. You’re the kid that hacked into Holly’s com system, aren’t you?”

There was a pause, before the child replied. “Indeed, and it is a pleasure to speak with you as well, Foaly. Now, are you the only other person on this line? This is a rather delicate matter…one which I’ve been thinking about overnight. I had hoped for some insight from the Captain on how she’d recommend to proceed.”

Glancing around at the traffic, Holly slowly nodded. It would take her a few minutes to get back, so she had a little bit of time. “I’m in traffic right now, so you’ve got fifteen minutes. Sorry I can’t make it longer, but I have a report to give, Artemis.”

“Right. Very well…I…” Artemis seemed to struggle for a moment, trying to think of the words. “Do you recall the matter I spoke with you about last night?” Holly nodded, feeling oddly chilled again. “I am supposed to be meeting with…someone quite close, to one of those that died. Your words made me believe I could handle such an event…but I find that the closer the time gets to actually encountering him, the less calm I can manage.”

How twisted was his family? Sure, Holly had a few issues of her own with her father. He had wanted her to be a domestic fairy girl, trying to train her to cook, clean and do laundry. She had rebelled against him at a young age, instead learning to fight with the fairy boys that lived on her street. She had told her mother she wanted to be an LEP officer, and after an argument between her parents, her mother had taken her away. She never saw her father again, and not long after Holly became an officer, her mother had passed away. Still, she had never been actually forced into any situation like this. She could already imagine some twisted criminal family, forcing their child to learn how to kill then teaching him to deceive others by having him meet with the family of the deceased. The image made her feel sick, clenching her teeth tightly as she thought of what to tell him.

“Like I said, you did what you had to do, right?”

“Perhaps. There were likely other options…if I had considered it from a different perspective, I could have seen other methods to ending…” He broke off, as if realizing how detailed he was getting. “Regardless, I still cannot say if it was effective or not. I’ve only just begun to determine how to track down what should have changed as a result.”

Artemis was skilled at being cryptic, Holly had to give him that much. “So…is Fowl your real name, or what?” Foaly spoke this time, interrupting before Holly could make another suggestion. “Because I tried finding your family, kid. Everything in my system says you don’t exist.”

There was a pause, a bit more delayed than Holly would have expected. “I do exist in your system. You are simply looking in the wrong place.” Foaly didn’t reply to that, and Artemis didn’t bother to elaborate. “Holly…please. I truly do not know who else to turn to. My father…he would never believe the events occurred. I have no friends…and the only other person who might relate would likely make matters worse.”

“You do realize you’re not the first murderer, right? Go to a prison, ask them for moral advice. They probably have more feedback than Captain Short, kid.” Foaly seemed to have an odd dislike for the boy.

Artemis didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t show it. “Most of them intended to kill, or did so out of anger and emotional torment. My actions…were a result of my plan, a plan I believed would make things better.”

She was beginning to see part of why he called her, at least. He was isolated, and she fought for justice, like he had apparently been trying to do. “What kind of guy is this stranger? Do you think he’d be angry with you if he knew the truth?”

There was a pause, as if the boy didn’t know for certain what to say. “I suppose it would depend on a few various factors. Currently…I do not believe he’d believe my story to be true, much like you would not either if you knew the truth.”

“Well, then just let things play out, Artemis. It’s not like he can hold a grudge against you for something he doesn’t even know happened. If it bothers you too much, try and tell him the truth.”

“Perhaps that would be for the best. It isn’t as if he’d be able to…” Artemis seemed to break off, as if startled by whatever sentence he was about to say. “Is that truly how I see him?” His words were barely breathed out, but he quickly moved on as if they had not even been stated. “Regardless, thank you once again for your advice captain. If there is anything I can do in return, do not hesitate to ask.”

“Actually…you mind reciprocating the favor? I could use a wish of good luck right now.” Holly was pushing her way through the busiest section of town, having the luck to get caught in construction as well. “I botched my last recon job, nearly revealing everything to mud men. Got anything that would make me feel better about keeping my job after this one?”

The boy seemed to pause, as if hesitating to speak. Holly questioned if he had broken off the connection, but he spoke again after a long break. “I would not worry yourself over a mistake, Holly. Such things happen in your line of work…and depending on who it was revealed to, discovery of th—us, may not turn out as poorly as you might think.” There was a slight stutter in the middle of his comment, though Holly hardly noticed it.

Standing in front of the office, Holly took a deep breath. It wasn’t actually making her feel any better, what the kid had stated. “Got anything else?”

The boy chuckled, as if amused by her words. “Best of luck, Captain. I recommend apologizing to the Commander, and being humble during your report. Explain things truthfully, and often, that will lead to the best consequences you can hope for. As of right now, there are numerous other officers who have made similar mistakes in the past, and they have retained their jobs amongst the LEP. With that precedent set, it is unlikely for them to be able to fire you completely, unless they are seeking a lawsuit for unfair treatment and discrimination due to your gender.”

Hearing those words come out of the mouth of a child left Holly stunned. She only stopped and stared at the doors of the building, replaying it over to make sure she had heard his words correctly. Even Foaly was stunned, responding before she could. “And…you said you were five, right?”

“Yes. In technical terms, I am five years old.” There was an odd warmth to his voice, as if he were amused with that concept. Not seeing the joke, Holly only began to slowly shake her head, smiling as she pushed open the doors.

“Better look out, Foaly, because I think you’ve got some competition from our local child genius.” Even the centaur couldn’t argue that point. 

As Holly walked inside, she heard Artemis reply one last time. “I shall let you finish your report unhindered then, Captain. And as for you, Foaly…worry not over my actions. I have no intention of becoming a renowned individual amongst our kind. I’d much prefer to remain anonymous…living a quiet life away from others.” He paused for a moment, his voice turning somewhat more sad at that. “Enjoy your day, Captain. And once again, thank you for your kind advice.” 

When the child was off the line, Holly didn’t have much else to say. Foaly still was on the other end, while Holly stood just in front of Root’s office. “He’s an interesting one, Holly. You’re right about his problems, too…I can see why you’re so concerned with this one.” Even Foaly sounded troubled. Holly never knew him to have a soft spot for kids, but she supposed she had much to learn yet about her friend. “Do what you can for him. And pass along that he can contact me for help, too. I’d love to see what kind of inventions that kid can come up with…maybe he can even help me fine tune a few of mine.”

Smiling at that, Holly pushed open the door. “Will do, Foaly. Anyway, I’ve got work to do. Have a nice day.” With that, she ended the conversation, turning off her com system and pulling off her helmet. Then, she stood in front of Root’s desk, gazing into the harsh glare of the commander as he took a puff of his fungal cigar, leaning back in his chair. It was time to get this over with. Taking a deep breath of the noxious air, Holly closed the door behind her and found her seat. Despite his young age, Holly found that Artemis’ technical viewpoint of how this would go helped her. She might have screwed up, but she would still keep her job. So long as she remembered that, she would get through this. So, with that in mind, she braced herself and stayed silent in her seat as Root began his rant about proper procedures on the field while working in recon. She even managed to smile while listening to him, her mind still thinking back to the young boy who had now called her twice in a few hours, showing that at least someone out there relied on her for help as much as she wanted to be relied upon by this town.


	39. Truths and Secrets

Right now, Artemis still wasn’t certain about being ready for this. The last time he had seen Butler, he had been walking away from the man’s corpse. Artemis still couldn’t get those images to fade away from his mind, either. What was it about guilt that kept these thoughts from vanishing entirely? Was it the shock of the memory? Artemis was not certain, but he made a note to look into the matter further. While he had done much research into psychology, he had not specialized in dealing with guilt in any form, so he was not as adept at dealing with the struggles he was currently working through.

Dressed in one of the business suits that had been hanging in his closet, Artemis found he was oddly numb as he prepared for the day. Was he truly just going to follow through with his old life and meet Butler like normal? Surely, he had some method of moving forward on his plans. One option was to get in contact with Grimoire Heart through his father. If he joined them in their journey to Tenrou Island, Artemis could retrieve Zeref before them. However, that plan would involve more deceptions and Artemis was still getting over the guilt eating away at him with his most recent endeavor of that nature.

His second option would be to appeal to Fairy Tail. Once again, he was doubtful of gaining their aid. Joining them on their S-Class wizard trials would not be something that was allowed, not with the risks involved in such an event. So, he had to either break through the barrier on the island on his own, or smuggle himself onto one of the boats heading in that direction. To decide which was more efficient, he’d need Butler’s input. With his past as a result of his family, Butler had numerous underground connections and would know the quickest way to travel to his destination.

Getting Butler’s input would be the challenge. Right now, Butler was supposed to be getting his interview today. Basically, the position was not made permanent until Butler had been performing as Artemis’ bodyguard for three months. The man had not minded since the pay was far better than most positions for a man of his skills. So, when Artemis left his room, his mind was already racing on how to get Butler alone to speak with the man of his plans. If Artemis could convince him to not simply follow orders from his father, then he could possibly achieve this. Then again, convincing anyone to betray his father was a difficult task, even when he was twelve. Being five and doing so would take a bit more of a creative approach.

Straightening his tie, Artemis walked down the stairs towards the living room. His parents were already there, sitting side by side in the sofa. In the white recliner to the right of them, Butler’s massive figure was seated, looking outrageously large in comparison to their small, minimalistic furniture. “Ah, I see Artemis is finally awake. Arty, I’d like you to meet Butler. His family is known as the best fighters in all of Fiore, without magic of course.” HIs father gestured towards Butler, who turned around and offered Artemis a faint smile. It wasn’t like his former ones that expressed his emotions. At the moment, it was forced, the look of a man smiling for a job and no more.

Returning the look, Artemis had to remind himself to keep breathing. Of course Butler was alive. He knew that, but it didn’t stop the shock of seeing the man again. Moving forward quietly, Artemis took a seat next to his parents, nodding and focusing back on the man. “Good morning. Thank you for coming all this way to meet with us. I do apologize for being late.” 

His father patted his shoulder gently at his words, while Butler’s smile widened slightly. “Worry not, Artemis. Your body needs rest. There is no need to apologize for that.”

Still, Artemis felt chilled. He knew this wasn’t how the meeting was supposed to go. Artemis had taken an immediate interest in Butler last time. He had asked the man questions about magic, looking for a demonstration of what he could do. When Artemis saw the wide variety of weapons he could use, it had made Artemis, both the younger and the elder, realize he was perfect for the job. 

This time, the image of Juliet collapsing on the ground filled his mind. He had not watched entirely, and Zeref had been the one to hear her last words, but it still felt wrong. From where he had stood, Artemis thought he heard her whisper something unusual at the end as she reached towards Butler, likely his real name. It was the only thing Artemis had ben close enough to hear within that sea of magic. Part of him thought he should have continued to remain numb to everything, however. This Butler did not trust him to that extent, and the Butler he knew would not exist for at least seven years.

His father cleared his throat, frowning down at Artemis. He gave Butler a small smile, squeezing Artemis’ shoulder again. “I apologize for my son, I do believe he is still waking up. Artemis, don’t you have a few questions for your potential—“

“Oh, he is not my potential bodyguard. In fact, I’d say it is almost guaranteed that he has the position.” Artemis smiled with that, seeing Butler blink at him in surprise. “Of course, you are free to disagree, Father. There is just something about him…very well. If you would not mind, Butler, could you explain to me what style of magic you utilize?” His father still seemed a bit stunned by Artemis’ declaration. He should have thought it through, rather than just blurting out his mind. Really, did he have no control over his words anymore either? His bout with the curse had made him unrefined as well as overemotional.

“Certainly. Though, I must ask…what is it about me that has you so confident in my ability?”

Butler looked curious, while Artemis leaned back in his seat. “You’ve entered this room, dressed in what appears to be a business suit in preparation for an interview. However, you’ve left the bottom button of your jacket unbuttoned, giving you freedom of movement at any given time. Also, your trousers are not made of the usual materials which would tear if given too much strain. Despite the fact that they blend in with the rest of your attire, it appears to be a cotton-based piece of apparel, which is normally utilized for common clothing, which functions better for motion. Now, all of this clothing is worn loosely, which gives you ample opportunities to hide away weapons on your person. No doubt you were searched upon entry…but from here, I do believe you have a sig sauer hidden by lodging the handle beneath the kevlar vest you also wear under your clothes. Not only that, but your socks are wrinkled…indicating a smaller weapon hidden within, likely inside your actual shoe if it was not found upon your initial search. My assumption from that would be some form of a switchblade knife, though it is more difficult to reach, I must commend you on making it inside with any weapons at all. That takes more skill than any of the other candidates we’ve seen in the past, ol—Butler.”

His parents gaped at him, while Butler stared in shock himself. “Artemis…we may not have hired your own personal protection, but the security we do have around the manor is airtight. Despite your attempts at deduction, there is no way—“

His father had been speaking, but he broke off when Butler rose to his feet, moving slowly as he pressed his hand into his side. His hand slipped barely below his shirt, grasping the handle of the very gun Artemis hd stated was there. When he removed it, he set it on the table, giving him a slight smile. “You have a good eye. I’d remove the knife as well, but I hope you won’t mind allowing me at least one physical protection on my person. Should the mansion be attacked now, I’d rather enjoy the chance to prove my skills in person.”

This time, his father was staring at Artemis with wide eyes. “That’s…Artemis, how did you even see that?”

He hadn’t. If he told the truth, it was that Artemis knew about Butler’s weapons after the bodyguard personally stated he never went anywhere unarmed, despite his magic. It saved his energy if he actually carried the weapons on his person, rather than in the dimensional pocket his magic created. “Anyone with mild observational skills would have noticed it.” He tried to play it off, using his old arrogance. However, he couldn’t help but feel his gaze drifting back towards Butler. His throat felt dry, and suddenly, he didn’t want to be here anymore. Those eyes had been lifeless before, because of him. Artemis would lead Butler to his death. 

The front door opened, startling Artemis out of his haze. His gaze flickered over, seeing Butler stiffen and blink in surprise at the girl coming in. “Come on, what’s taking so long? I’m getting bored just sitting around. I heard that there’s a wizard’s guild nearby! You promised we’d go and see if they’d let me watch a few spars between their members.”

“Juliet, you know you aren’t supposed to be in here. Mr. Fowl did not search you, and you were not permitted to enter.”

The girl tossed some hair over her shoulder, placing a hand on her hip. “Yeah, but those guys didn’t even try to keep me out. Seriously, a girl has just gotta smile and ask to use the restroom, and guards melt like putty in your hands.” She waved towards them, moving towards Butler’s seat. “Anyway, how’s the interview going? Enjoying seeing how awesome my brother is?”

That smile was not like the one Jade wore. It was alive, one from a girl that knew where she came from and where she belonged. Juliet adored wizard’s guilds and fighting, but she did not want to be a bodyguard. Part of her dreamed of joining one of those guilds, so she was the first person in generations of the Butler family to not take up a position protecting another person. “Didn’t you say your family had an odd protection for themselves by hiding their first name?”

“Yes.” Butler sighed, shaking his head. “Juliet does not intend to go into this line of work. We still try to tell her to keep it somewhat hidden, as the rest of our family does have enemies…but, as you can see, she tends to do what she wants.” Juliet was younger as well, likely still a young teenager at this point. Watching her, Artemis felt an even greater chill settle over him. She would die not even remembering her brother. She would die, just barely remembering his name before her life left her. Once again, it was his fault. He had left, leaving her in danger with Zeref. He had cursed himself, killing her with his magic.

Part of him felt the odd urge to call Holly back. It was overwhelming, sitting here and speaking with them again. However, it was an irrational thought. Calling her now put the People in unnecessary danger. “Interesting. Just what does she plan on doing, then?” Artemis’ father continued the conversation, while Artemis began to frown. There was a faint noise in the background of the house. It sounded like someone talking, and if that were the case, Butler would pick up on it as well.

True to his thoughts, Butler stiffened and glanced over his shoulder with a frown. “I…sorry, but it sounds as if there is someone else in here.” Rising to his feet, Artemis folded his arms in front of his body.

“Worry not, Butler. That is my own…ah, experiment, of sorts. I’ve been attempting to alter a communication lacrima to make it utilize less energy to activate.” It was a simple enough project that his five year old self could lay claim to it. “I may have interfered a bit too much with the activation sequence of it…one moment, I shall ensure that it does not interrupt us again.”

He expected to be left alone as he moved upstairs, but he felt the familiar presence of Butler shadowing him as he moved. “As a precaution, please allow me to follow you. You never know when someone might be coming to target you, with a family like yours, Master Artemis.” 

Nodding, Artemis took a deep breath. If someone had contacted him, Artemis was almost certain it was Foaly. So long as he kept his words guarded, he could disguise it as a normal conversation. Still, there was no telling what Foaly might say on the other end of the line. Entering the room, Artemis stood stiffly and listened for a brief moment. “—Short! Stop giving me excuses, because there clearly is no child that managed to keep you above ground for an extra five hours.” 

That voice belonged to Commander Root. Was Holly still giving her report to the LEP? He had thought it would be done with, but the commander was not done. Perhaps he had waited to verify her story of speaking with him. Regardless, he could not simply let his friend get punished for something he had actually done. “I do apologize for the delay.” He spoke calmly, projecting his voice. “However, I must warn you, I am not alone today. Allow me to introduce you to my…ah…butler, Butler.”

Butler frowned at him, but did not disagree with the comment. “Hello. Are you Artemis’ friends?”

There was a bit of silence on the other end of the line, and afterwords, Holly spoke. “Thank Frond you’re there, Artemis.” She needed to be careful. Artemis glanced towards Butler, seeing the man frowning at her terminology. Thus far, it wasn’t too revealing, but it was different enough to raise suspicions. “Got a big hung up with the report…Commander Root doesn’t think you managed to hack into Foaly’s ultimately secure systems, even with the—“

Seeing where it was going, Artemis interrupted quickly. “And he is on the line as well? I am assuming it was Foaly who managed to reach me, all things considered.”

“Does this kid have no manners? Seems to me like a little brat, not some depressed psychopath.” Root spoke, making Artemis wince.

“No, the kid really did make some…ah…interesting claims.” Foaly spoke, making Artemis close his eyes. “And hello again, Artemis and friend. Sorry for your loss, by the way.”

This was a disaster. Butler glanced towards Artemis, well aware that there had been no deaths in his family. Even if the comment was directed towards the bodyguard, there was nothing for him to indicate if he realized that or not. “Did you hear me, Butler? The kid said you lost someone recently.”

“I made no such claim.” Artemis spoke stiffly, avoiding Butler’s probing gaze. “I…I claimed he could not recall such an event.”

“But it occurred, right?” Root spoke this time. “Otherwise, you’re just using Holly and wasting our time. The LEP officers aren’t your personal—“

Realizing that he had already lost too much, Artemis saw no choice. “I traveled back in time, Commander. An impossible feat in today’s world, but it is what I did, nonetheless.” Glancing towards Butler, he saw his bodyguard blinking at him in surprise. “For that, I am sorry for the confusion. These are…friends of mine. If you would be so kind…I’d appreciate you not revealing any of the information we speak of to my father.”

“Artemis…just what are you involved in?” Butler was staring at the child with new eyes. This time, they looked like he was seeing Artemis truly for the first time. He was not falsifying his expressions, and there was an intrigue in his gaze as well as an odd sense of respect. 

Glancing towards the lacrima, Artemis shrugged. “A scheme I should have simply left alone. For details…I’d rather wait to reveal the rest. The time is not yet right, unless you believe you could get me to Tenrou Island without anyone noticing my absence.”

“Tenrou Island?” Butler frowned, likely not aware of the place.

“Wait…Tenrou Island is an island that belongs to some wizard’s guild…” Foaly trailed off, and Artemis realized he’d finally figured it out. “Your name is in my database…I’m just looking in the wrong place…oh, hell.”

“Indeed. I did not falsify who I was, it was you who made assumptions about me. For that, I cannot be blamed.” Sighing, Artemis shook his head. “Regardless, I will need your assistance in my plans. This is something that concerns both of us. If you do not believe me, ask me how I would even know any of your names. In the future, we agreed to work together on this plan. However…things took a turn for the worse, and now I am no longer certain if this plan was worth it.”

“Are you attempting to prove something to this guild?” Butler was frowning, looking rather confused by Artemis’ plans. “It seems…unusual, to attempt to travel at your age without your parents.”

“I had every intention of having you accompany me, though for that to occur, I suppose I must convince my parents of your worth again.” Artemis sighed, shaking his head. “Time travel truly makes everything more complex, old friend. I do not recommend it.”

“You know…that still doesn’t answer his question.” Holly spoke, sounding a bit curious herself. “Just like whatever Foaly was cursing about makes no sense what so ever either. Do either of you two geniuses mind explaining it for the rest of us?”

There was a pause as Artemis debated what to do. He wondered why Foaly didn’t outright say it to her, but then again, it would sound odd to Butler at the moment. Before Artemis could determine what to say, Foaly began to chuckle slightly. “All I know is that you were definitely right. If this kid can break into my system, there’s no way in hell I’ve secured it enough. Right now, I’d say you’re on your own for figuring out the mystery of your little friend.” He paused for a moment. “Though…be careful what you talk to him about. Your job isn’t something that should really become public knowledge. Holly.”

Tilting his head, Artemis grabbed the lacrima and stared into its smooth surface. No images were displayed at the moment with how many were involved in the call, but the white surface still shined oddly in the light of the room. “You are assisting me?”

“Two reasons, mu-Artemis.” Foaly stopped himself just short of using the slang fairies seemed to have for humans. “One, I like having a challenge. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find someone who can even attempt to hack into my system? You come waltzing right in, breaking into it without a sweat…can’t say I don’t like the thought of seeing what else you can pull off.”

“And the other reason?”

Foaly paused again, sighing into the microphone. “I want to hear about what pushed you back in time. To be honest…if you travel back in time and Holly was the first person on your list to contact…it makes me wonder what kind of future you came from.”

“Foaly, we’ve got better things to do than waste resources on a kid who is likely just making up stories.” Root intervened before Artemis could speak. “The only race known to even be remotely capable of—“

“Commander, I suggest following your technician’s advice about holding your tongue.” Artemis interrupted again, glancing towards Butler. This time, his eyes were narrowed, picking up on the fact that something was being kept hidden. “Already, my companion is growing rather suspicious of our conversation. I do not think you’d wish to further that mood, considering his skillset.”

“Does…does this relate to what you need on Tenrou Island?”

Staring into the lacrima, Artemis frowned. “Not quite. No…I need them to help me fix the issue currently on Tenrou Island. After all, humanity has been attempting to cope with this plague for four centuries now. It is time to see what technology below ground can accomplish.”

“Okay, now you’re just making things up. There is no plague going on…I have records of all diseases known to mankind, everything from the common cold to genetic disorders you haven’t even heard of. If it exists in the medical world, I’ve got record of it right in front of me.”

“It is not a disease, Foaly.” Artemis closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his head. “However…if I wish to make this a rather speedy event, I suppose it would be best to inform you now. What I traveled back in time to stop…is a curse. To you, it is known as the Black Curse, I believe.”

There was silence on the other end, before Root finally spoke. “You’re joking. The Black Curse hasn’t even been heard of for eight centuries at least.”

“Zeref Dragneel.” Artemis simply spoke the name, letting them realize it for themselves.

There was a pause, likely while Foaly pulled up the file and sent it to the commander. “D’Arvit.” This was one word Artemis was slowly beginning to grow to understand of the gnomish tongue. Granted, he was slowly becoming fluent, but he didn’t have the time to immerse himself in studying it before this disaster occurred. “The black wizard...I should’ve known we’d hear his name again. You sure he’s on that island, kid?”

“Oh yes. And I have a very specific plan on how to stop him. After all, if you begin a war in seeking him out…you will set him on the path that leads to the future I come from.”

“Let me guess, the guy loses control of the curse and kills a bunch of people.” Holly spoke, sounding rather bored with the idea.

Shaking his head, Artemis glanced towards Butler, seeing his bodyguard frowning in confusion. He was tense, aware of the threat, but still uncertain about the details. “No. If anyone would have met that description…I suppose that would have been me.” Silence met him, though Artemis was not finished. “Zeref was the opposite. Complete control…and an unchanging desire to reject the world he lived in. He was willing to destroy absolutely everything for a single chance to change his past…a chance which I took for myself, to change his path.”

“I don’t know what makes you think we can fix this…we don’t have any kind of research on killing curse victims here. Nor do we have info on curing them. Basically…as far as any of us knows, once you’re cursed, that’s it for you.”

“And this is why I have a plan.” Artemis ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve already made it through this far…perhaps I am still…adjusting to what it required, but that does not mean I am willing to stop now. For now, prepare the ethercube for activation. I will contact you again once I’ve located Zeref’s precise coordinates.” 

“You are merely a child. Artemis, you can’t possible think this is wise…the dangers of leaving and attempting to corner a man so desperate for results—“

Artemis held out his hand, stopping Butler’s words. “I am well aware. There are certain…precautions I could take, I suppose, but I’d rather avoid those unless absolutely necessary.” Once again, Artemis couldn’t help but imagine Butler’s still form again. He would kill anyone he cared for, if he attempted the same plot for defense against Zeref. “As for my age…if you take time travel into account, I am a bit older than I appear.”

He had hoped to let it end there, but Root wasn’t the type to just accept cryptic messages. “Oh yeah? Then how old were you before you came back to this time?”

Pinching the bride of his nose, Artemis scowled. “Twelve.” There was a moment of silence. Then, Root’s laughter filled the room, amused at how Artemis seemed to think that a mere seven years had made much of a difference.

“Twelve…kid, what kind of studies were you doing your whole life?”

Foaly’s shock at least made Artemis smile. “You can likely see my file now. I’m certain you can make plenty of assumptions as to what my education is like, given my family background.”

“I like this kid. Root…when you figure out who he is, just promise me you won’t punish him too badly.” His informality seemed to startle the commander, and Artemis too.

“Why would he be in trouble? I told you before, Artemis needs help, not punishment. He didn’t…well, based on what he’s saying now, he technically hasn’t even done anything wrong. Really, all we know is that at some point in the future, he might end up killing someone.”

Holly’s words made Artemis flinch slightly, his gaze flickering towards Butler. The bodyguard caught his look, a knowing light seeming to flash in his eyes. “Artemis…you’ve been giving me that same look ever since you first saw me. Did…this person she insists you killed…you wouldn’t happen to be blaming yourself for my own death, would you?”

Looking away, Artemis closed his eyes. “More than just yours…Domovoi.” Artemis startled the man, speaking his first name. It was the only way to truly prove what he had done to his bodyguard, the only way to gain his complete trust without engaging in years of conversations. “I intentionally gave myself the black curse…for the immortality it grants was the only method I could devise to protect myself from the death magic it emits.”

There was a choking noise from one of the men, though the clarity was lacking on the lacrima. Artemis assumed it was Foaly, simply based off of personalities, but he supposed he would never be certain. “If I stood by your side…no, if you even came to know that name…then it shows just what type of bond we had, Artemis.” He seemed to be serious, taking a seat on Artemis’ bed. “I find myself oddly looking forward to the day we truly become such good friend again. In my line of work, friendship rarely takes priority…and if I happened to die while serving you, that is exactly how I expect my life to end with this job. Do not blame yourself for something beyond your control. I am alive now, and while I do not recall those events, I am certain I held no ill will towards you for your decisions, Artemis.”

Taking a shaky breath, Artemis simply nodded. Butler wasn’t the only one he owed such an apology too, however. “You were not the only one who died, old friend. The guild who owns the island we will be traveling to…I caused them far more strife and grief than you might think. For my plan to succeed, a dual betrayal was necessary…but I wonder if I should have taken Mavis’ viewpoint instead, considering their emotions rather than just the end result I desired.”

“Regretting the past is pointless, Artemis. I’d say you can’t change it…but at this point, you kinda can.” Holly let out a slight chuckle at that, while Artemis smiled at her joke. It was a rather good one, matching his style of humor perfectly. “Still…you’ve already done what you’ve done. Even if you can change the course of history, it won’t change your memories. Learn to live with what you’ve done, apologize to the victims if you have to…but don’t let it consume you. The Black Curse is a cruel curse, leading to an existence that few can withstand. Looks like time travel is one method of getting rid of it though, right?”

Nodding, Artemis glanced down at his own palms and smiled. “Yes, I suppose it is.” He paused for a moment, one last thing weighing on his mind. “Foaly…about an old prototype of yours. Do you still have the E-inhibitor tranquilizers?”

“Council said they were inhumane and banned them from use. Why?”

Smiling, Artemis tilted his head. “If we are facing off against a man who can heal from any wound…it would be best to hinder that advantage as much as possible. Would you not agree?”

There was a pause, while Root seemed to reply first. “I’m not going to like this plan of yours, am I?”

“You’ll like it even less once you meet him.” Foaly interrupted, but there was an almost gleeful note to his voice. “Still…you can’t say he hasn’t thought this through. Give me a day or two, and I’ll have a batch of it whipped up for you. It’s not like the Council will freak over it being used on some guy we can’t even harm, especially not with what’s at risk.”

“Are you going up against the—“

“No.” Artemis replied before Butler could finish. There was only one council in Fiore that they might be referencing in Butler’s mind, and he was not angering the Magic Council in any form. “Let’s just say this world is larger than you think, old friend. Now, about our transportation…have you given any thought to how we will be getting to the island? I was thinking it might be best to stow away on Fairy Tail’s own ship to gain passage. After all, their S-Class wizard trials are about to begin.” With that, their conversation launched in a new direction. The lacrima was turned off so Holly could finish reporting in to Commander Root, while Artemis put a few final touches on the last piece of his plan. With Butler back on his side, he would not be stopped. This time, he would not make the mistake of cursing himself as well. However, as Zeref’s own ominous words about his ability to cope with the curse rang in his mind, Artemis once again wondered if he had changed enough to no longer meet the black wizard’s description of the person he was.


	40. A Tutor for Stefan

It felt like old times, sneaking around past his parents to leave his home without notice. He had done so with his mother numerous times in the past, with Butler at his side. After a story about how Butler had located a missing piece to Artemis’ most recent creation, and some pleading and well-reasoned logic from Artemis, his parents had agreed to let him travel with the bodyguard. As predicted, Butler was given a trial period for his new position, one which Artemis knew would last for a long time. After all, it was tradition for a Butler to be paired with only one charge for life. Perhaps Artemis was too personal with this particular Butler to meet all their traditions, but it did not change the idea behind the concept.

Now, Artemis and Butler found themselves in Magnolia. The city did not really change much in seven years, Artemis noted. There was a slightly older feel to some of the buildings, and it was lacking a guild hall that had been built to replace Fairy Tail, but it still felt like the same city. Artemis would have known where the guild was, where to find the best inns, and which restaurant sold the best fish in town. After spending so much time here in his latest scheme, Magnolia almost felt like a second home to the young boy.

By Butler’s side, Artemis was forced to take on a new role once more. They were currently moving along the street towards Fairy Tail’s guild hall. Usually, he would not take such a direct approach. However, he had not researched enough to know for certain where the guild left from. Hargeon would be the best assumption, but there were other port cities close enough for Fairy Tail to use that were more economical choices. Orphia tended to lower its rates to try and attract more business, while Ishkorn was known for their larger ships for travel. Each city had its own benefits and downfalls, which left it difficult to predict exactly which port Fairy Tail would utilize.

“Are you sure about this?” Butler glanced down towards Artemis, while the young genius smiled.

Straightening his tie, Artemis inhaled deeply to calm himself. “Of course, Uncle. The question is have you grown familiar enough with me for your part?”

“To be quite honest, I never expected a job quite like this to come from a five year old child. However, I do believe I have come to realize that no one truly understands you, Stefan.” 

Based on his list of wizards traveling to Tenrou Island, Artemis had selected the one that gave him the best reason for coming to the guild hall without wishing to join. Levy McGarden, one of the more intelligent members of the guild, was selected for this very chance herself. As they pressed open the doors to walk inside, Artemis saw the familiar excitement around the guild. It was clear that preparations were already being made. A wizard Artemis had not met with spiky orange hair seemed to be speaking with Gray. He wore sunglasses, and while he did dress in a suit, it seemed far less formal than Artemis’, more for style than anything else.

Cana and Lucy were together, with the drunken girl’s arm slung over the blond’s shoulders. Lucy looked uncomfortable, but she was smiling faintly as Cana laughed off whatever joke she just said. Makarov was speaking with Mira, Erza, and yet another wizard Artemis had failed to meet. This one had a ragged brown cloak on, as if he had traveled far and cared little about replacing the piece of clothing. 

Other groups had formed, mainly in odd pairs of two that likely related to the contest. Artemis vaguely recalled Lucy explaining something about two-man teams for this event, though he had paid little attention at the time. Perhaps he should have done so, but he never intended on participating himself in the past. When he spotted Levy, he smiled when he saw a dark haired wizard with her, with a black cat on their table. A few wizards glanced his way as he made his way towards them, lifting his hand slightly to grip Butler’s and make it appear as if Butler were the one leading him across the room rather than the other way around.

“Hey…do you guys know them?” One of the wizard’s whispered voices grew loud enough for Artemis to overhear.

“They aren’t guild members…do you think they’re trying to join?”

“They’re walking towards Levy…I don’t think that would be the case.”

Ignoring them, Artemis smiled until he stood before the blunette, watching the girl blink at him in surprise. “I’m sorry for the sudden appearance, but might you be Levy McGarden?”

Butler spoke, his voice deep and taking on a slight accent to match his false identity. The girl nodded, smiling towards him. “I am. Did you need something? Our guild is rather busy preparing for a special event right now, but if you have a request, you can place it with Mira and I’ll try to take a look at it when we get back.”

“Actually, I came to you about my nephew.” Butler glanced towards Artemis, who did his best to keep his eyes glued to the ground. “See…we’ve heard rumors about your scholarly attitude, Miss McGarden. Stefan has been struggling lately, both in academics and in magic, and we had hoped to start private lessons immediately.”

“We’ve got work to do, so go away baldy.” Gajeel spoke, while Artemis frowned slightly. By his side, Butler remained unfazed by the comment, stoic as ever with his position.

“I…I don’t think she wants to help me, Uncle." Artemis did his best imitation of a disappointed child, making his voice meek and shy. He even added to the effect, stepping closer to Butler’s leg and trying to hide his face.

Touching his back, Butler smiled faintly down at him. "Don't worry, Stefan. I'll make sure we find you the right tutor for your studies.” 

“Hold on…what is he even studying in the first place? I mean, I might be smart, but I’m not a complete genius or anything.” Artemis had to fight back a smirk. He knew that all too well, with his own genius status.

Looking up to meet her gaze, he gave a slight smile. He had done his research for this one, knowing exactly what Levy would be interested in. “L-literature. I…I wanted to become a journalist…but Momma says I have to learn to use magic to fend for myself first.” He had to fight back a cringe at his own terminology. Had he really just used the word ‘momma’? His mother would be ecstatic, but Artemis hated having to use the crude language of a five year old child.

Rising to her feet, Levy moved around to the other side of the table to kneel in front of Artemis. “Really? Do you like reading?” Artemis nodded, still making sure to keep a tight grip on Butler’s arm. “Well…if you’re wiling to wait, I can help after—“

“No!” This was the part that would grate against his nerves even further. He pulled away from Butler, purposefully stomping his foot on the ground. “I don’t want to wait! I’ve gotta learn now, or else Nial will surpass me.”

“Stefan, that is no way to speak to her. She is giving you a kind offer already.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Artemis forced himself to pout and lower his gaze. Really, he was falling far if he could pull off this act. Who honestly believed such drivel as this? Apparently, Levy did, for her gaze softened and she reached out towards him.

“I’m sorry…I really wish I could help.” She bit her lip, glancing towards Butler. “What kind of magic does he use anyway? I mean, I might not be of much help in that expertise either.”

“He has yet to specialize. That’s why his mother is so concerned. Given his age, he should have shown some inclination to a particular style at this point.”

“Why not just let the kid tag along? It’s not like the old man would care, since he’s not giving you some upper hand on the competition or anything.” Gajeel glared at Artemis, scowling from his seat at the table. “It’d stop wasting our time too, so we can work on our game plan for the trial.”

“But Gajeel, it could be dangerous!”

Nodding towards her, Butler smiled faintly. “Actually, this was why I was sent to accompany Stefan. See, he’s a bit…socially awkward at times, and he is often a bit of a trouble magnet. While he is not skilled in magic, I am. Danger truly is not a concern of ours, so long as he learns from the experience.”

Gajeel seemed to sit up straighter at that, sizing up Butler with raised eyebrows. “You got some kind of strength enhancement magic or something? ‘Cause you don’t look like much other than muscle.”

“Come to think of it…he does kinda look like Elfman.” Levy frowned at him, before glancing towards the white haired man in the guild, where he was sitting with Evergreen while preparing to leave for the trials.

Not seeing the full resemblance, Artemis simply ignored the comment. “That is my own business. Unfortunately, you can never be too careful these days.” Butler sighed, smiling faintly at them. “For now, why don’t I actually introduce myself? I am Constantin Bashkir, Stefan’s closest uncle.”

“Stefan…isn’t that the name of that growing chess prodigy in Bosco?” Artemis had begun his enjoyment of strategy games at a young age. However, he had not achieved champion status until he was six, after Butler began traveling with him out of the country.

Nodding, Artemis shrugged. “It…makes sense to me. Moving pieces around is fun. It doesn’t help me see what use magic has, though.”

Giving it such a mediocre response still continued to grate on his nerves. How much longer until he could return to normal? Realizing he’d have an entire boat ride with her, Artemis had to suppress a groan. “Well…if you promise me a game when we get back, I think we can figure something out on the island. Just…don’t expect too much until the trial is done with, okay? This is an important event for me as a wizard, my chance to become stronger. Can you understand that, Stefan?”

Nodding, Artemis smiled at her. “Thank you, miss. Stefan isn’t one for many words, as you have likely seen.” He patted Artemis’ head, while Levy nodded in agreement.

“Of course! I’m glad to help. Besides…Master is always fond of trying to make sure the new generation is comfortable with who they are and their own power. Teaching him his own strengths…I feel like it just might help me grow as a wizard too.”

Nodding, Artemis watched her stand up straighter. “Anyway, I better go get permission from Makarov before we leave. You two wait here, I'll let you know when we’re about to leave for the boat.”

With a wave of her hand, Levy walked off towards the bar counter where Makarov was still speaking with the other S-class wizards. Letting her go, Artemis glanced towards Butler, sharing a look with his bodyguard. Step one of the second stage of his plan was complete. Now, it was all going to get far more complex from here, They’d be leaving for Tenrou Island soon, and once there, he’d have to sneak away from his ‘tutor’. Then, it would be all about finding the trail of death that would lead him to the infamous black wizard everyone still believed was dead.


	41. The Mission Begins

Artemis was beginning to hope he wasn’t arriving too late for this ordeal. With the fact that Fairy Tail ended up trapped on this island for seven years, Artemis knew it was a risk. If he did the same, there would be little to no chance of stopping Zeref. However, this was also the ideal time to do so. Zeref still valued life, and as a result, he would not be the same man Artemis knew from the time the black wizard had been their subject of investigation. Part of him wondered how much he had changed, but Artemis wasn’t certain he was ready to speak to that man again either. Zeref was the one who claimed Artemis could disregard life completely and still not kill. Zeref was the one that made Artemis think that perhaps the black wizard was right. Perhaps, if things had just changed slightly in his past, Artemis would have become exactly like the wizard infamous for more death than anyone else in the history of the world. 

On the boat, Artemis stayed close to Butler’s side. Levy spoke with him the entire time, chatting about books and magic alike. Right now, she happened to be working on magic. “Magic is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it’ll be. If you don’t use it, you will never increase your capacity to store energy, and powerful spells will not be available to you. So, the first step to trying is normally meditation. Focus your energy, on drawing it inward into your body…”

He did his best to falsify attempting her lessons. However, his mind was wandering. Unlike a specific muscle, most wizards believed it was impossible to live without magic. Illnesses said as much. Magic deficiency disease was only one of many that came about as a result of a wizard losing too much energy. What made fairies so different? He had seen a few medical scans, and it intrigued him. After a moment, Artemis frowned and focused his gaze on Gajeel. What made dragon slayers different? He had not managed to get into Foaly’s files on them, so he still did not know the full story of why the People were wary of them as well. It related to the end result of such magic, of them transforming into a dragon, but he knew there was a reason the People were worried. Was it because dragons were considered one of them? It didn’t quite seem correct, considering their thought process.

Interactions with ethernano in the bloodstream were rare for wizards. The container for ethernano had vein-like channels directly into the skin. They spread like a second circulatory system, channeling it to any point a wizard might need to use for their magic. For most, these channels tied strongly into the palms, since only rarer forms of magic utilized the full body for activation. Only by utilizing these forms of magic could new channels be created and strengthened, allowing the body to adapt to the chosen style of magic. Once channeled into the skin, a wizard’s nerve cells directed the channels to inform the ethernano what form to take. People foolishly believed emotions played a role, and perhaps that was the only indication of where the bloodstream had any effects. Due to the proximity to veins and arteries, there were places they overlapped, and occasionally intertwined, but ethernano never truly entered the bloodstream. If anything, a few hormones or loose proteins might enter the channels for ethernano, but the same impulse altering ethernano into magic would not effect those proteins at all. While there had been no studies on the actual effects of these proteins and hormones on ethernano, Artemis was beginning to wonder if they amplified the amount of ethernano in those channels, allowing it to be strengthened without a wizard having to expend more energy.

If these channels were never active, it would make sense that the structures would ultimately deteriorate and fail to function after so long, much like any organ, if Artemis was thinking about it properly. So, what made it possible for the digestive track to play a role in that system? The only connection it had was the bloodstream. In order to allow magic in the bloodstream, the wizard consuming such power needed to have some similarity to the People. As such, Artemis was fairly certain he understood exactly why they were wary. Dragon slayers were part fairy, whether they knew it or not. The result of combining fairy magic and a wizard’s magic was likely deadly for the human involved, based on the final transformation. Ethernano was believed to deteriorate the mind, and with the final transformation into a dragon, it spoke of making wizards more akin to fairies than humans if such a combination were achieved. Eventually, the mind would cease to function and they would perish. However, Gajeel seemed ignorant of such a fact as he rested soundly on the boat.

“You aren’t paying attention anymore, are you?”

Levy was smiling at him, while Artemis shook his head from his thoughts. “Sorry. I was—“ He broke off, realizing he was forgetting his role for a moment. “thinking.” Keeping it simple was best, to finish that sentence.

The blue haired wizard chuckled slightly, shaking her head. “You get this funny look on your face when you’re thinking. It’s like whatever is on your mind is life or death…kinda weird for a kid, to be honest.” He had been rather absorbed in his thoughts, so Artemis did not have much to comment on to correct her. “What was on your mind? Do you miss your family?”

In just a few years, Artemis’ father was supposed to go missing and his mother was supposed to lose her mind. However, he oddly found himself feeling calm about that fact. He knew those problems could be resolved with relative ease. As he stared over at Gajeel one more time, Artemis found himself wishing he had chosen a different guise for this trip. He had a few questions he wished he could have answered, but Stefan would not be the type of child to inquire about these matters. So, he simply nodded, lowering his head.

Levy touched his shoulder gently, while Butler watched them warily. “Do you want to know what helps me when I miss my parents?” There was a sad smile on her face as she folded her legs underneath herself, sitting on top of them with her free hand resting in her lap. “I guess I didn’t tell you much about them. I don’t really like talking about it…because it just reminds me of how alone I am. If I’m being completely honest…I don’t even know who they are.”

Her head leaned back, staring up at the wooden ceiling of the boat’s inner cabin. “Mom died giving birth to me. My father…couldn’t handle the grief. I spent my life trying to locate him…to see what he did when he ran away and abandoned me. That’s what made me start reading books…tracking down histories of various towns, rosters that listed all inhabitants in them, just looking for…anything, really. It’s not like I even had a name to search for…but I thought if I saw his name…I’d just know. Kinda silly, right?”

Having spent so much time and resources in locating his own father, Artemis felt it would be rather hypocritical to judge her for doing the same at a much younger age. “I had guardians, sure…but they couldn’t seem to keep me away from my research. Since I wasn’t allowed to leave the house often, books were what became my escape…my way of finding Father without actually going out and searching for him. If I ever did leave home, I was at the library. Sometimes, I’d even fall asleep there and make the people raising me worry too much.”

“I was probably just a little older than you, when I finally heard the truth.” Levy had her head lowered, touching her chin to her chest. “See…the people raising me…I never even knew how I came to be with them. The first thing I really remember was meeting them…it’s not like the foggy memories of a baby can tell the difference, right? Anyway…someone came to the house. Rune knights, dressed in the familiar white robes. I had rarely left home, staying to myself in my room…so I didn’t even know much about the people raising me. Apparently, they were involved in some dark guild…and they were being arrested on sight. When one of the rune knights saw me, they looked shocked. One of them blinked at me, before making a comment that I found odd. ‘She looks just like Martha…she couldn’t be Officer McGarden’s, could she?’”

Still unaware of how this story was meant to deal with homesickness, Artemis decided to just let the girl finish. “I guess it was a good thing I looked like my mother. They realized who my real family was…and told me that my father had died, years ago. The people raising me? They were dark wizards, hired by an anonymous source to take care of him. Finding their records, I managed to track down the false name and the money trail…to my father’s own account. He hired them…to kill himself. He had been depressed long before I was even born, and he apparently couldn’t handle it any longer.”

“With no where else to go, I found myself in town, looking for a way to make a living as a child. Really, the only kind of work at that age is wizarding…so I practiced. Words were my life, so I made it my magic too. I read, studied, and learned how to use my creativity to my advantage. Then, when I found Fairy Tail, they welcomed me with open arms.” She had a smile on her face, glancing down at Artemis. “Whenever I miss my parents…when I’m thinking about the life we could have had together, that’s what I picture instead. I imagine all of my amazing friends, and the life I now have…and I realize that I wouldn’t give it up, not for anything. Do you have any memories like that, Stefan?”

For a moment, Artemis was silent. He didn’t have friends. Then, he glanced over towards Butler for a moment, thinking back to meeting his bodyguard. His mind switched, thinking instead to his second time meeting Holly, the way the fairy had spoken to him with an oddly blunt form of kindness. They weren’t the same, but they were the closest he could come to memories of friends. When his gaze flickered towards the back of his hand, he couldn’t help but smile as he recalled meeting Mavis as well. “I suppose I do. I didn’t realize…that I had friends.”

Levy blinked, before laughing and throwing her head back. “How can you not realize something like that?” She was interrupted as she laughed more, shaking her head at him. “You’re a weird kid…but you know what? You can consider me your friend too. I’m guessing this big mountain behind you would say the same.”

Nodding, Butler smiled weakly towards Artemis. “Of course.” He frowned for a moment, looking towards his own lap. “There is little I would not do for him, I suppose.”

Had he already made such an impression on Butler? Then again, Butler was aware of the time travel as well. Nodding, Artemis smiled and leaned back. “Then…considering we are friends…would you be willing to keep a secret for me? From your guild, that is.”

Blinking, Levy glanced around. Gajeel was sleeping behind her, and the other wizards seemed to be scattered or on the deck of the boat. “Um…maybe. I mean, if it threatens them, I can’t say I won’t tell the others…but if it’s something personal, I don’t see why not.”

Nodding, Artemis straightened his posture and met her gaze. “That will suffice.” She frowned, since Artemis had already shown a slight change in vocabulary. “I did not come to you seeking tutelage, Miss McGarden. No, I came in search of this…of passage to Tenrou Island. There is someone on your guild’s island that no one knows about…and I intend to find him.”

Shaking her head, Levy leaned against the wall behind her. “I’ve done some research on the island, Stefan.”

“Artemis.” He interrupted her, making Levy blink at him again. “Aliases were necessary to keep my location hidden from my father. My real name is Artemis, and Constantin is not my uncle. As for what you can call him, I suppose his job title and name are alike in that regard. My companion is known as Butler.”

“Artemis.” Levy corrected herself, studying the two of them for a moment. “Regardless of what you might think, there are wards around the island. These protection spells have been in place for nearly a hundred years, placed by our founder herself. No one can get on the island without a direct invitation from the guild, or without bearing our guild’s mark.”

“He has an invitation from that very founder you speak of, I believe.” It was the only connection Zeref seemed to have to Fairy Tail, after all. “And, if that is not the case…then I suppose it is entirely possible that he has been on the island for nearly a century as well. Regardless of which scenario is the truth, my objective remains the same.”

“Why are you telling me this now? I mean…if you just wanted to search the island, you could have done so without risking me warning Fairy Tail about all of this.”

“Because…I need you to keep others away.” Artemis rose to his feet, feeling the rocking of the boat shift his weight slightly. “This trip to your island…it will not be going as expected. The information I have about who resides on Tenrou Island came from an outside source…one which you would do well to keep a look out for. I am not the only individual seeking this person out, Levy. Grimoire Heart is the one who first devised his location…and I am here to ensure that he does not fall into their hands.”

“Grimoire Heart? That’s one of the most powerful dark guilds in existence, right next to Tartaros itself.” 

Nodding, Artemis closed his eyes. “I am well aware. And they are not even the greatest threat you might face…” Sighing, Artemis shook his head. “I assure you, Fairy Tail is more than capable of dealing with them. However…if their war brings about enough chaos…the true threat will come. Be prepared, for this event will shape your future.”

“What event are you even talking about?” She was on her feet now too, reaching towards Artemis as he moved to walk away. “Hey! You can’t just leave with some kind of cryptic weird comment like that. If you do, I’ll have no other choice but to warn—“

“I cannot say.” He glanced towards her, tilting his head. “You could say I am not even supposed to be here. Time travel truly makes everything overly complex, wouldn’t you agree?” Levy’s eyes bulged slightly, her jaw dropping open at that. This time, she didn’t react in time to stop Artemis from going on deck. 

When she finally followed, she remained silent, though she glanced in his direction multiple times before the boat finally stopped. When Makarov made the announcement that the wizards would be swimming to the island, Artemis groaned at the idea. Then, Levy grabbed his arm, smiling at him. As others complained about the barricade, Levy was working on rewriting the enchantment placed around the boat. “Come on, time traveler. If you really have some dark threat to stop…I want you to have as much of a head start as possible.” Giving her one last smile, Artemis let the girl drag him off the boat, with Butler and Gajeel following after. Borrowing one of the life rafts, the four of them began making their way towards the shore, finally nearing the place where Zeref rested. Artemis would find him, and he would make sure that the future he knew never came to pass.


	42. Change from Time

Tenrou Island was a large place. While Levy and Gajeel parted ways from him, entering their chosen path, Artemis and Butler began to explore. “Sir…what are we even looking for?” Butler was gazing around at the trees, while Artemis couldn’t help but do the same. This place was oddly peaceful, more so than any other natural setting he knew. He could see why Zeref chose to spend his years here, rather than in isolation on another island. Something about this place felt alive and energized, filled with color and life in ways most forests were not. While Artemis was certain he’d eventually see signs of some form of civilization, it looked like the majority of this place had not been touched by man in years.

“Death, Butler.” It was a morbid thing to say, considering how lively this place truly was. Animals here seemed to be affected by the magic of the island, growing larger and taking on forms unlike any Artemis had seen. Some even vaguely resembled a species of dinosaur he thought to be extinct, though it was likely that species was a variation on some reptilian species at this point. Likely, it was a distant cousin to an alligator or crocodile, though Artemis could not be certain. 

Glancing towards him, Butler frowned. “Are you certain we will find it here? It does not look as though this place would lose its life so easily.”

He had not intervened in the timeline on Tenrou Island, so Zeref must still be here. “A curse can make the impossible possible, old friend. I’ve witnessed the power of this magic personally…and I have been the cause of it as well. Both situations were uncomfortable, to say the least.”

“Then…you understand what this wizard is thinking, at least? Do you have a plan for if he attacks?”

Butler was always thinking ahead to security, and since Artemis had explained little of the task, he understood the man’s questions. “Of sorts…ultimately, it will be a question of how quickly our friends underground can react.” Without knowledge of who Holly truly was, the comment likely only confused Butler further. “For now, I advise you to save your ammunition if you do see him. Zeref is immortal, and none of your weapons will be capable of harming him. Hopefully, Holly will arrive armed with the E-inhibitor tranquilizers like I requested from Foaly…otherwise, we will have to improvise.”

“Improvise?” Butler frowned at him, while Artemis nodded. “Against an immortal black wizard who utilizes unstoppable death magic?” His tone made it clear exactly how absurd of a plan Butler saw this as.

Kneeling on the ground, Artemis studied the grass by his feet. There wasn’t even the tell of footsteps heading in any direction. The area they were in now was well abandoned, at least by humans. “I understand your worry, old friend. However, can you devise a plan against such an enemy either?”

The bodyguard paused, thinking for a moment. “Immortal doesn’t mean unstoppable, Artemis. I do have tranquilizers, normal ones, that should at least put him to sleep while we capture him.”

“His metabolism won’t allow that.” That made Butler frown, while Artemis rose to his feet. “It is part of how his immortality functions. Any wound, no matter how minor it appears, heals in a matter of seconds. The chemicals from your tranquilizers will have a function for the same duration…since the magic will boost his metabolic rate to eliminate the foreign substance.” Butler seemed to struggle for another plan, his brow furrowing as he thought. Reaching over, Artemis patted his leg since he was not tall enough to even attempt to reach the man’s arm without falling over. “If all is as expected, a fight will not be required, old friend. Zeref’s mindset at the moment…is perhaps the ideal mindset to encounter him in. He wishes for his own death, and nothing more. So long as we can persuade him that we are capable of granting his wish…he may even willingly agree to come with us.”

It was then that Artemis heard a voice he was not expecting to find on this island. “Artemis! Are you over here?” Spinning around, Artemis’ eyes widened. That was his father. What was he doing on Tenrou Island? Thinking to his recent actions, he wondered if perhaps Grimoire Heart had more spies in large cities than he expected. Even with aliases, his face was similar enough to his father’s for word to reach him through the guild. 

“Artemis…is that—“

“Yes.” Artemis did not hesitate, moving quickly through the trees to find a place to hide himself from view. However, his father had already spotted him. While they were separated by mere feet, the elder Artemis had far more experience in actual athletics than his son. As a result, even if Artemis II had ran at full speed, it would have only delayed being caught. He felt his father grab his arm, stopping his attempt to flee. Meanwhile, his mind was racing on how to get away. Scanning the forest, he tried to find some sort of tool that would help. All he saw were fallen leaves, plants, and what looked like a sleeping wolf. 

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. The wolf in the distance, with a few leaves tangled in its gray fur, was not moving. The plants nearby did not seem overly harmed, but there seemed to be a slight pile of leaves gathering near one side of the wolf, indicating it had been dragged across the ground. A scavenger had claimed it for food, meaning the wolf had died nearby. “Artemis…you can't be here! What are you even thinking, coming to this island? You know what I’ve been researching. I've seen you reading my journals in my study when you think I'm not watching."

The stern shout didn't even phase the young genius. “Sh. I’m listening.” Artemis tilted his head slightly, hearing little beyond the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. A small tweeting noise came from overhead, likely from one of the birds flying around the island. There was the nearby sound of running water, indicating a stream or even a river running through the island. Then, he heard it. There was a slight snapping sound, faint by close enough for Artemis to turn his head towards the noise. “He’s here. Butler…be careful. Signal them now.”

“But, your father—“

“I know. Overall…stopping this takes priority.” Sighing, Artemis didn’t even attempt to escape his father’s grip. “I am sorry for deceiving you, but this was of utmost urgency. If you knew what Zeref—“

“Deceiving me? You out right lied, stating this involved some project of yours. When I heard reports of you traveling with Fairy Tail, I thought there must have been some mistake. Then, I heard you were spotted again in Hargeon, with the same wizards…and after that, I realized it was my job to come collect you before you ended up in over your head. Do you even realize who Zeref is? Arty, you are only five. You might understand magic, but you hardly use it. This is beyond your capabilities.”

Hardening his jaw, Artemis kept his gaze focused. Butler was walking towards the direction Artemis was staring in, pulling out the altered lacrima they had brought with them. “Father, if you would just—“

“And you’ve managed to drag Butler into this as well! I’ve been meeting with their family for weeks, speaking with him, understanding how he works. The Butlers are honorable wizards, yet you’ve managed to make this one follow some ridiculous plan that not only puts you in danger, but risks countless others as well? Whatever you are planning with Zeref, it isn’t—“

“Grimoire Heart is coming to this island today, Father!” He shouted, trying to at least get something past the elder Artemis’ anger. Startled, Artemis I’s grip slackened, letting his son step just a little bit further away. “I needed to stop them…to stop this war from ever occurring.” His father didn’t need to know that it was Zeref’s war he was actually stopping. “Despite all of your research, there is much you do not understand about Zeref. Perhaps I am risking much, but success is always worth a gamble such as this. I am not working alone, Father. There are allies Butler is working on gathering to assist in this matter.”

“Foaly is pinpointing our current coordinates.” Nodding, Artemis kept his gaze locked on the spot he stood in. He heard another slight snap, this time louder than before. Zeref was coming to them, it seemed.

This time, his father seemed to follow Artemis’ gaze. “Arty…just how did you find out about any of Grimoire Heart’s actions?”

Placing a hand to his lips, Artemis shook his head. He needed Zeref to approach of his own free will. That way, he would not be quite so startled by their presence. So, he stood and waited. His gaze turned slightly upward, watching the leaves of the trees. More fell in the breeze. He waited until he saw one of them blacken completely, the leaves all falling in an instant, turning into dust as they fell. “Quite an interesting tale, old friend. Though, I must say my story about fishing in the Nile has far more tales of woe than yours.” He directed the comment towards Butler, leaving his father staring at them in confusion.

“Oh really? I’d wager my last haul that you didn’t even come close.”

Smiling, Artemis glanced just behind Butler, seeing the frozen form of the black wizard. “There…are people on this island?”

Meeting his gaze, Artemis nodded. “Hello. I have been looking forward to seeing you…Zeref Dragneel.”

“Wait…even my research didn’t uncover his full name—“ Artemis glared at his father, startling the man into silence. He had not planned for his father, but revealing too much would make Zeref feel as if they were insincere in their claims.

There was a sad look on Zeref’s face, his gaze dropping slightly. “Oh, I see. More wizards…seeking my power.”

“Perhaps many would do so, but they are the true fools. Who would desire the power of a curse, after all?”

This made his dark eyes flash upward, narrowing for a moment. “You…you know the source of my magic.” It wasn’t a question, though he looked rather mystified. After a moment, he smiled faintly, glancing off towards his side at what appeared to be nothing. “Much like another person I met in a forest long ago…how odd, these cycles my life seems to take. Are you going to request that I teach you about magic as well?”

Learning that he had taught Mavis magic was interesting, but Artemis kept that fact to himself for now. “Not quite. I’d rather propose a deal to you, Zeref. You are seeking death, are you not?” 

Seeming to grow content with the distance they were keeping, Zeref’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “Perhaps…I feel as if I was, but I cannot recall…” He frowned, touching his head. “Why did I come to this island? I wished…no, it was Mavis. I could feel her nearby…in this place.”

“I suppose that would make sense. This island does belong to her guild, after all.” Zeref glanced around, smiling faintly.

“Yes…the guild. I remember that much. She enjoyed being with them, did she not?”

He was far more relaxed than Artemis ever recalled seeing him. In fact, he didn’t look like he could harm a fly. The drastic change made Artemis realize just how easy it was for him to change sides. “Indeed. Such a sad fate for her, in the end. My condolences…I can’t say others would be able to bear the same burden.” 

Zeref’s eyes seemed to grow wet as he slumped down next to the nearest tree. His back leaned against it and his head fell forward. Black strands of hair covered his eyes, blocking them from view. However, Artemis could see small dark stains forming on his robes as tears fell. “She…she asked for this fate…yet I couldn’t give it to her willingly. Why…why must I suffer like this? Haven’t I already learned my lesson?” His gaze turned upward, his tearstained expression fully visible. By his side, Artemis’ father looked stricken to see the black wizard in this state. “Please, Natsu…I don’t think I can hold myself back much longer. Hurry…before…before…” He broke off, clutching his head. 

“Butler, I suggest coming closer to me.” Artemis spoke quietly, and the man nodded. Even he seemed uncertain as to what to say to Zeref. However, it didn’t truly matter as it only took seconds for the area surrounding the black wizard to be surrounded in a dark black haze of magic. The strands expanded like smoke, contained by an invisible dome around the black wizard. They swirled around, spiraling upward and growing thicker as they stole away the energy from the surrounding living creatures. Then, as suddenly as it arrived, the strands began to dissipate and fade away. “As I stated before, Zeref holds no desire to harm us. This is the result of such a style of thinking for him.”

Meeting his gaze, Zeref seemed to look desperate as he sat on the ground. “How? You are so young…younger than her. Why understand such dark magic? What could you possibly gain?”

“Neo Eclipse is how.” Zeref blinked at Artemis, who solemnly gazed back at the black wizard. “In the distant future…I too gained this curse. I know your suffering, Zeref…and I know how strongly you desire to end it. If you trust me and allow me the opportunity, I just may be capable of stopping it.”

“That spell…it is incomplete. I vowed to never use it…because it would force me to…to betray her.” 

That explained some of his delay, Artemis realized. Zeref had to be pushed completely over the edge, so far into despair that he was willing to let go of the only person he allowed himself to love. “Natsu was not prepared when he came, Zeref. He was not able to stop you.” The black wizard stilled for a moment. Then, Zeref slowly dropped his head again, his palms resting in his lap facing upward towards him.

“Why? Must I suffer for another century…being rejected, alone in the world without anyone…” He trailed off, clearly not ready to speak further on the matter.

A slight shimmer in the air caught Artemis’ attention, making him nod in the direction of the shielded fairy. “Tell me…how much do you know of dragon slaying magic?”

“Dragon slayers?” Butler interrupted before Zeref could speak, frowning in confusion. “That style of magic is a lost magic. Artemis, if your plan revolves around it, you know how impossible it will be to succeed, right?”

“No, that is not correct.” Zeref interrupted, frowning towards Artemis. “I find it intriguing…just how much did I inform you of, child?”

“My name is Artemis…and you revealed far more than you think you did, Emperor Spriggan.” That name made him smile slightly, nodding towards him.

“I see. Then I truly did begin another war…how foolish of me. Were there as many pointless deaths as I always thought there would be?”

Looking away, Artemis closed his eyes. “Y-yes. Though…I cannot say you were to blame for those. I had underestimated the force of this curse.”

“Yet you seem…calmer, than I’d expect, from one who endured this curse. You have an odd capability to cope with guilt—“

“No!” Artemis blinked, realizing he had raised his voice in a manner much unlike himself. Closing his eyes, Artemis felt his hands close into fists by his side. “I…I am not that heartless monster, Zeref Dragneel. You once told me you thought I was the perfect bearer of this curse…capable of forgetting the value of life without actually killing by choice. I…I am not like that. I refuse to be so heartless…to be able to simply throw away lives as mere sacrifices to the greater plan.”

Nodding, Zeref gave him a sad smile. “I see. I am sorry, even though I do not recall those words. Though…is that truly a bad thing to be? For me…I cannot help but kill. Perhaps it is a difficult thing to see…but your mindset just may allow your conscience to overpower your very emotions. Valuing life and disliking death are two very different concepts, Artemis. You choose an isolated existence…and as such, few lives matter to you. However, that does not mean you wish for death…or that seeing and causing death would leave you unaffected. Simply put…your own way of living seems to have nullified the curse you no longer carry.”

“Artemis…Zeref…what am I not seeing here? It sounds as if you two have met before…” Artemis’ father trailed off, gazing between the two of them.

Smiling, Zeref simply gazed up at the sky. “We both have met, and have not yet met at the same time. Interpret that however you wish…it isn’t all that different from the thoughts that are often in my head, after all.”

“The curse causes contradictory thinking?” Artemis tilted his head at that, while Zeref chuckled and shook his head.

“Not quite. Or…perhaps it does. It is difficult to explain…the thoughts come from years of trying to work around the guidelines of the curse. By altering my mindset to meet the curse’s own rules…it has interesting effects on my morals, to say the least.”

Nodding, Artemis folded his arms over his chest. “I see. Now…about my earlier question. Dragon slaying magic. What is your extent of knowledge on the subject?” The black wizard watched him for a moment, staring in silence without answering. For a moment, Artemis felt like he was back at home, watching him through the simple lacrima in their security room. However, that moment passed as Zeref shook his head with a smile. He looked oddly at peace here, unlike what he had looked like back at Fowl Manor. Perhaps whatever happened on this island truly had changed him after all. If Artemis had met the man like this, he would have had a much harder time fighting against granting Zeref his original wish to change his childhood and ensure he got the chance to live with his family.


	43. The Time to Speak of Plans

To ask Zeref about dragon slayers was asking for a rather lengthy story. Currently, Zeref was uncertain if he wanted to delve into that topic. Based on their brief conversation already, he knew more about Artemis than the others likely realized. The boy had met him in some distant future, when he had returned to his former ways. Artemis knew a darker side of him, one that was willing to kill to get what he wanted. So, Zeref still couldn’t help but wonder as to why Artemis was here now, clearly seeking him out.

Considering what Artemis already seemed to know about dragon slayers, Zeref tried to keep his explanation simple. “It is a form of magic that comes from dragons themselves. A wizard takes on a similar style of magic that dragons once possessed. In the past, this allowed them to injure dragons during the war, though I suppose it was difficult, if not impossible, for even a dragon slayer to kill one of those creatures.” Acnologia had been the exception to that rule. Zeref frowned at that thought, not looking forward to their next encounter. Acnologia did not do well with others who possessed more power than himself.

“In the most basic sense, I suppose you are correct.” Something akin to disappointment settled on the child’s face. Really, it felt odd speaking with a child about these matters. Technically, Artemis was older than he looked, though Zeref did not know by how many years that was. In a way, he was beginning to see how others felt when speaking to him. It wasn’t as if his teenage body gave any indication as to his true age, after all. “What about how it affects their physical bodies? They gain physical senses greater than that of a human, do they not?”

Nodding, Zeref narrowed his eyes. Artemis knew more about this as well, it seemed. “It sounds as if you already know your answer.” The boy nodded, still studying Zeref as if waiting for an answer. Shaking his head, Zeref frowned again. Something felt odd nearby, almost like the aura of a wizard but not quite the same. The energy was clustered in a specific area, but instead of draining the ethernano from the air, it almost seemed to be creating it in the atmosphere around him. “A dragon slayer will ultimately transform into a dragon.”

“Why?”

It was a single question, one which few were ever concerned enough to ask. In the past, that very transformation had caused so much terror. Wizards had bread dragon slayers like flies, hoping that with sheer numbers alone, the dragons would fall. When Acnologia changed, they saw what would become of their army. Then, it wasn’t just dragons targeting dragon slayers. Being one meant you were at risk of becoming one of the monsters killing off humanity. Chaos emerged, and within that chaos, Acnologia rose to power and began to rule over mankind and dragons alike. Terrified of his power, others had come to Zeref for help in solving the issue. With his indifference towards dark acts, they knew he would be able to slay Acnologia without issue. They did not realize Zeref would delay that event for quite so long, he supposed.

He knew he was lost in thought about the past, but it was necessary for such a question. No one bothered with it back then. Fear reigned over humanity, and curiosity had died as a result. Scholars did not survive for long unless they learned to fight. “I had always interpreted it as the final stage of their magical development. Dragon slaying magic in general is powerful and unstable. The more power a dragon slayer gains, the closer they are to the point of no return.” From his time with Irene, he knew that she had seen others nearing that point as well. It wasn’t singular, relating to just one dragon slayer as a result. Since some of those dragon slayers had even failed to kill dragons, he knew that the common perception about it being related to ‘bathing in dragon blood’ was also false. 

“What do humans have that dragons lack? That is what comes to mind for me.” Artemis seemed to take a seat on the ground, studying the forest floor intently. “After all…my interpretation varies slightly from your own. Would you not agree that it is possibly an adverse reaction to taking on an unfamiliar form of magic?”

Frowning, Zeref began leaning forward, away from the tree he had been using as a backrest. It was already dead anyway, so he saw little harm in using it to relax. As he thought, the older man near Artemis spoke. “Are you even going to answer one of my questions, Arty? I thought…do you not trust your own father?”

This man did not understand what was going on, Zeref realized. His son was trying to get advice on solving some mystery, and his father was not capable of granting it. “Father…it is too complicated to explain at the moment. Perhaps another time. To put it simply…I have completed far more research than you believe. Butler is aware of the full story, and that is why he is aiding me in this matter.”

It seemed to be enough for Artemis’ father, making the man nod and frown back towards Zeref. “And what of you? You do not seem like I expected you to be.”

“Most would agree.” Zeref did not elaborate further, far more interested in Artemis’ thought process than his father’s. Somehow, he was attempting to relate dragon slaying magic to the curse. How? Zeref saw little similarities between the two. “As for your explanation, Artemis…I suppose it would be possible. Few thought to study the differences between dragons and humans in terms of magic use. However, I see little reason to think it would function differently. Magic is magic, no matter what form it takes.”

For some reason, Artemis’ gaze flickered to a spot in the air, though when Zeref tried to follow his gaze, he saw nothing. “True, but I’ve come to a different realization. You understand how ethernano functions in a wizard’s body, correct?” He was surprised this boy had taken the time to learn, but Zeref nodded. Few wizards realized how important it was to understand the anatomy behind why magic worked. In fact, Zeref was almost certain it wasn’t even taught in schools anymore, not with so much focus on developing actual spells instead. “Why do our bodies simply not take advantage of our veins for transporting ethernano? Would it not save space, and possibly even allow for faster travel?”

Glancing down at his arms, Zeref frowned. He had wondered the same thing, in the past. In fact, he thought he had done some form of experiment on the subject, though the memories of his results were failing to come to him. “I…I feel as if I knew the result, at one point in time. It…it does not react well, with blood.”

“Too vague.” Artemis picked up a stick, writing a few things in the dirt in front of him. “Blood contains far too many cell types, proteins, antibodies, hormones…essentially, it carries everything our body needs for survival. Ethernano cannot possibly have an adverse reaction to every single one of these, otherwise we would not survive with magic in our system.”

This time, it was not Zeref who replied, nor was it either of the boy’s companions. “Don’t you dare, mud boy!” It seemed to come from the air near Zeref’s head. His eyes flashed around, searching for the source of the feminine voice. When he saw nothing, Zeref opened his senses instead. That same odd magical aura returned to him, and this time, he realized it was indeed someone. Somehow, it related to Artemis’ theory, as well.

Glancing towards the boy, Zeref began to smile faintly. “Sharing secrets, are you? It seems as if you are upsetting someone.” Glancing upward, Zeref closed his eyes. “You can rest assured, I will not tell a soul about this matter. It isn’t as if many would speak to me either.” Pausing, he frowned. “In fact, this is the first conversation I’ve had with a living person in decades…it is odd, how peaceful it makes me feel. I’ve missed this…” 

He could almost imagine living like this, bantering about magical theory with others. However, the thought came with a slight pounding sensation in his head as the pressure of ethernano increased. Quickly thinking back to dragon slaying magic, he felt the building pressure drop once more as his curse relaxed. “You are unlikely to convince Holly of that, Zeref. The captain is likely quite angry with me…and I suspect Foaly as well, for hiding this from her.”

After a moment, a girl suddenly appeared in sight. She was short, and what surprised Zeref further was the fact that she actually appeared to be flying. “You bet I am. You’re a human? Why the hell did Foaly decide to keep something like that to himself?”

“Because I am interesting, Captain. And because I know how to stop the curse, which the People still cannot seem to comprehend.”

“How? Stop dodging the question and just explain it, before I get trigger happy.” The boy seemed to eye the oddly shaped gun in the girl’s holster, while Zeref continued studying her closely. 

Watching her, Zeref began to blink in surprise. “Impossible…is she truly a fairy?” It was the most accurate description of the girl before him. However, with the thought of fairies came the linked memories of Mavis. Blond hair flashed in his memories, along with bright green eyes that seemed so happy to provide him even a small measure of peace. Simple illusions was all it had taken to soften his heart, to make him feel like he wasn’t quite so alone in the world. “Mavis…are you here? Please…you must see this.”

“Mavis? You mean Fairy Tail’s founder?” Artemis’ father spoke, frowning. “She’s long dead. Don’t know how long you’ve been here, but—“

“I know.” Zeref turned away, closing his hands into fists by his sides. “I loved her. Your son will explain what that means eventually, I believe.”

The fairy gazed at him with saddened eyes. Even she seemed to understand what that meant. However, Artemis was the one who began speaking. “Very well. I apologize for my father’s ignorance. He does not know your curse like I do.” Zeref simple nodded, closing his eyes to try and fight back tears again. “Fixing the curse will require the People’s technology and medical techniques…on a highly advanced scale, I must add.”

“If you’re asking for something like that, I would have told you it wouldn’t work.” Holly crossed her arms over her chest. “He’ll heal faster than we can cut into him, and injected medicines will be burned away for the same reason.”

“Ah, but what if he had E-inhibitor tranquilizer in his system? And being fed to his bloodstream at a constant rate to counter the curse’s attempts at eliminating it?” Holly’s eyes narrowed, while Zeref considered what it might be.

“E…ethernano. A substance to inhibit magic itself?” Artemis smiled at him, nodding.

Meanwhile, the fairy rolled her eyes. “Congratulations, an immortal guy isn’t an idiot. He’s four hundred years old, so of course he can pick up on a few things.” Frowning, Zeref wasn’t certain if he had been insulted or not. As far as insults went, he supposed it was one of the kinder ones he had heard in his history, though. “So, your plan is some kind of extreme surgery? No offense, but I don’t get how that will help at all.”

“And I fail to see the connection to dragon slayers.” Zeref saw Artemis smile, nodding towards both of them.

“Essentially, my plan is a surgical variation on the enchantment utilized to create dragon slaying magic.” 

The pause was brief while the shock wore off. “Pardon?” Zeref simply looked confused.

“No way! There’s a reason that magic is banned, mud boy. Do you know what else the merging of dragon and human magic does to the body?”

“Damages the mental functions, I am assuming. Likely, it causes aggression, a dulling of intellect, heightening of the more remedial section of the brain in charge of instinct and reflexes, causing the individual to be more impulsive than normal.” That made Holly stop her rant, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Well…yes…but if you know that, then why are you even suggesting it?”

“Because of this.” Artemis circled his list again, pointing to a few specific lines on it. “My theory is that ethernano has an adverse reaction with one of the hormones only created in humans, not in…dragons.” His hesitation was hardly noticed, but Zeref was fairly certain he had been about to say something else right there. “From what knowledge I have managed to gleam from Foaly’s databases…the only matching hormone is—“

“Human Growth Hormone…” Holly breathed it out in shock, staring with wide eyes at his diagram. “So…if that is eliminated, the magic would merge fine without any side effects…”

Nodding, Artemis smiled. “Indeed. Now, I believe the first stage would be to remove the pituitary gland. This is the main organ responsible for the creation of that hormone, correct?” Holly nodded, while Artemis continued a new diagram. “Next…reroute the existing magic channels in his body, bypassing them entirely in favor of the circulatory system. Dangerous, yes, but necessary and likely not as risky considering Zeref is currently immortal.”

“What you’re suggesting…it isn’t just meeting us half-way and merging magic styles.” Holly met Artemis’ blue eyes, narrowing her own slightly. “You…you are suggesting making him, for all intents and purposes, biologically identical to a fairy.”

Shrugging, Artemis leaned back. “Would it not succeed? His own energy would dissipate naturally. So long as he does not complete the Ritual, he would no longer be capable of emitting death magic since his body would not be able to store the same amount of ethernano as before.”

Despite not understanding quite a bit of their conversation, Zeref could figure out enough of the idea to realize an issue. “This procedure…it would sever ties to my current magic, would it not?” Artemis nodded, looking pleased with his plan. However, the face of a young pink-haired boy flashed in his mind. “If my magic is gone…” 

“Stop!” The shout made Zeref pause, frowning in confusion. Had Artemis predicted this as well? However, when Zeref glanced at the boy, he saw that Artemis was not looking at him at all. His gaze was settled on some place beyond Zeref. Turning around, Zeref frowned, until his own eyes widened slightly. More people, on this island. He was feeling crowded, like a plague to this place yet again. Too many living things were here, and the thought created a surge of pressure within him. “D’Arvit.” It was an odd term Zeref did not understand, but the boy seemed to have picked it up from someplace. As Zeref hunched over, trying to stop the building pressure with his hands alone, he missed what was going on around him. He closed his eyes, at least hoping to not watch as the blue haired girl in an orange dress standing within the trees died.


	44. The Price for a Cure

Vaguely, Zeref thought he felt something hit his body. He heard the noise of leaves moving underneath him, and he distantly knew that he was no longer leaning against that tree. Instead, he was on the ground, not even bothering to sit up as the black magic exploded around him. The familiar sight of black swirls of magic gave him an oddly peaceful feeling, while filling him with dread at the same time. How many were dead now? The newcomer had been closest, but it wasn’t as if others weren’t nearby. In fact, who had moved him? His gaze flickered towards his side, widening in shock at the child, breathing heavily in the thick death magic.

His mouth opened to speak, but Zeref could not think of the words. “I know. It was the only way…yet again, I was unable to stop myself from resorting to this.” Artemis sighed, shaking his head. “Perhaps you were right. Maybe I am destined to bear this curse…regardless, it is foolish to believe in things such as fate as well. The procedure I suggested for you should cure myself as well.”

“What black magic spell do you even know of?” They were difficult to learn, and in the short time it took for Zeref to be caught up in his own outburst, he doubted Artemis could have casted one.

Smiling, Artemis shook his head. “Success is not needed to gain the curse. There was enough death surrounding you in this forest…I merely had to make a false attempt at resurrecting something to obtain this curse again.”

The magic slowly began to die down, revealing Artemis and Zeref sitting inside the haze. In the distance, Zeref could see the large, mountainous man holding back Artemis’ father. Holly was watching with wide eyes, hovering in the sky. Having been pulled away herself, the blue haired girl had fallen on the ground and was leaning back against a large, dark haired boy with iron piercings lining his nose. He had stumbled back himself, tripping onto the ground and holding the smaller girl tightly against his body as if that would shield her from this power.

“I do believe this means we are cutting it too close. Regardless of your decision…we should be leaving his island now.” Artemis rose to his feet, glancing towards Holly. “Is the ethercube ready for launch?"

“Yes…but how are you alive?”

Watching Artemis, Zeref gave the boy a sad smile. “I did not realize…did we somehow become friends, while I was in that state?”

Glancing back towards him, Artemis gave him a half-smile. “In a way, I suppose. Few can match my intellect…despite your dark tendencies, there were moments in our conversations that I rather enjoyed. If this is who you truly are…I think we would become rather good friends, do you not?”

Nodding, Zeref glanced back towards Holly. “Indeed.” 

The young genius glanced back towards Holly, standing tensely by Zeref’s side. “Imprison me within as well. In order to prevent Levy’s death and remain alive myself…I did the same thing I did before. For all intents and purposes, I too bear Ankhseram’s Curse.”

“Wait…wasn’t that the reason you tried tricking me in the first place?”

“I did not trick you, Captain. You merely assumed I was a fairy since I was able to connect to your system.” Whatever this argument was, Zeref had a feeling it would take some time to fully complete.

The fairy seemed to realize this as well, pursing her lips and nodding. “Right.” She held something in the palm of her hand, what looked like a simple black box. With a slight toss of her hand, it fell to the ground, landing by Zeref’s feet. As soon as it impacted with the dirt, the device practically exploded on its own, growing and expanding to take on a new form. The walls vanished, or more accurately, moved. It happened nearly too fast for Zeref to even follow. Walls suddenly were around him, caging him inside of an odd object. Instead of having the same solid black color of the old material, these seemed to take on an odd purple glow. It even felt soft to the touch, as if it could absorb him like a sponge if he tried hard enough. Then again, the wall did not move in response to pressure, suggesting it was more durable than it felt or appeared to be.

“For what it’s worth…I don’t think this curse makes you a bad person, Artemis.” Holly seemed to be debating with herself, troubled over what to say. “Maybe you are a mud man…maybe you killed someone because of this…but you also just saved someone’s life right now. If you’re willing to take on this curse to save lives, then that makes you a good person in my book, Fowl.” By his side, the young genius slowly began to smile.

“Artemis!” The blue haired girl, Levy if he understood the earlier conversation properly, shot back up to her feet. “What is he doing in that thing?” She rose to her feet, looking like she was preparing a magical attack.

The fairy touched the odd helmet on her head, talking to what seemed like no one. Considering his own conversations with Mavis, Zeref couldn’t exactly judge her, however. “Looks like we’re ready for retrieval. Package is all sealed up and ready to go…and Foaly? Prep an OR for us. We’ve got an unusual treatment request coming your way.” 

“Do not worry, Levy.” Artemis spoke with a small smile. “This was to be expected. After all, immortality is the only way to battle against true death magic…and to eliminate such a thing, extreme measures are required.” 

Even his father looked angry, his hands clenched into fists. “Arty…I swear, if you do not explain this when you return—“

“Butler can explain some of it, Father.” Then again, it did not look like the now-named monstrous man was pleased either. 

“I will not allow them to take you alone, Artemis.”

“I do not believe you have a choice in that regard.” Zeref glanced towards the fairy. “If they were willing to share their existence with us, I do believe Mavis would have found them long ago.”

Nodding, Artemis smiled. “Indeed. Though…it would not have stopped her seven years from now.” The odd phrasing likely confused most of the people here. However, Levy seemed to smile at it, looking almost amused by the comment despite being on the verge of tears. “I will return to you all soon.”

“Oi! Stefan, or whatever your name is!” Gajeel glared at him, scowling. “Don’t lie to Levy again, got it? If you’re not gonna make it, tell her. She’s tough. After all, that’s why I’m making her an S-Class wizard, got it?”

Nodding, Artemis frowned. “Then…perhaps I will not make that such a guarantee. Removing a part of the brain is likely going to involve risks…not to mention the rest of the procedure." Artemis tilted his head, studying the girl for a moment. “I do wish you the best of luck in your goal, however. Please keep my warning in mind, as well. Mavis should assist you at the end of it all.”

Raising his eyebrows, Zeref glanced towards Artemis. “How?”

“You’ve sensed her presence, have you not?” Smiling, Artemis tilted his head towards Zeref. “She isn’t quite as dead as you believe her to be, Zeref.”

An odd surge of warmth filled him. Perhaps he had not been speaking to just his imagination all those years, then. Mavis truly was on this island somewhere. Glancing through the purple-tinted view of the forest, he smiled. The same familiar sense came to him, her magical aura approaching. “Perhaps she is not.” Glancing towards where he sensed her, Zeref nodded. “I am glad to hear it from someone else, though. Can you see her, Mavis? The fairy in front of me…I’m certain you’d love her…I can already imagine your smile.”

Hidden within the trees above them all, out of sight from Levy and Gajeel and invisible to the others, Mavis smiled. “I do…and I’m glad you’ve found a friend, Zeref. Take care…and please, tell me what she’s like, when you come back.” Her words were too soft to be heard, drowned out by a slight breeze that blew through the trees. In a moment, her presence was gone, almost as soon as it had arrived.

“Anyway…now that we’re all done talking to people that aren’t real, mind if we wrap this up? I barely managed to let Root give me this mission. He’s still got it out for me after that whole fiasco in Hamburg…” 

Artemis smiled at her, chuckling slightly. “Yes, but now do you believe me when I say you keep your job, Captain? I assure you, both times we met, you held the same position.”

“Oh yeah? And how did we meet before? Because I can’t imagine how some mud boy tracked us down without already knowing we existed.” Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes were narrowed.

Glancing away, Artemis frowned. “Ah…perhaps it is best to just let that remain in the past. Er…future.” The oddities that came about when speaking of future events never ceased to amuse him. Watching Artemis struggle made Zeref smile. He leaned back against the wall of the cube, finding he rather enjoyed this prison. “We did not start off on the right foot, so to speak.”

Nodding, Holly kept her eyes narrowed. “Uh huh. I suspected as much. Just keep your eyes out, because while we may be friends, I still don’t trust you at all, Artemis Fowl. Mud men always lie and steal, after all.”

The boy smiled as if there was an odd irony to that statement. However, Zeref decided it was time to veer this conversation back on track. “As for this procedure…do you realize what might happen as a result?”

“Got a problem with losing your magic, wizard?” Holly snorted, shaking her head. “Gotta say, humans can’t ever be happy with what they’re given. They always want more, and that causes more messes like this.”

Shaking his head, Zeref glanced at the ground. “No…I am quite content with that end result. In fact…it is better than any alternative I had considered.” He grew quiet, turning towards Artemis. “Did…did I tell you about Natsu?” 

Nodding, the young genius frowned. “Yes…but I cannot say I’ve discovered a way to stop the end result of this.” He sounded serious, almost as if he were mourning himself. “Without your magic, all things tied to that power will cease to exist. For Natsu…”

“He will die.” Zeref felt oddly numb to the idea. At one point in time, he would have absolutely refused to go through with this on account of that fact. Now, he was tired. He was tired of being rejected, of watching the world die around him. He had waited for so long, just trying to live in peace. In the end, he just wanted the chance to die like everyone else. His life had been too long, and he was not willing to go through with living any longer like this.

“Wait…what?” Levy stared at them with wide eyes.

“Did he just say what I think he said? Salamander can’t be that weak.”

Turning towards them, Artemis nodded. “I am sorry. I did not think you would help if you knew the truth.” Taking a deep breath, Artemis seemed to glance at the sky above them. Following his gaze, Zeref noticed an odd quality to the air above them. It almost looked like a mirage, with an odd haze shimmering in the air. “Natsu is alive because Zeref made it so. When Zeref’s magic vanishes…so will the force keeping Natsu alive.” Turning towards Levy, Artemis smiled sadly. “He was never meant to be alive, Levy. Please, do not be angry with me for his loss…focus on the future that comes after instead. Lucy will need you, after all.”

This time, Levy was not able to stop her tears. “No! We will stop this…somehow…we have to…Natsu can’t just…” She sniffled, her shoulders shaking.

By her side, Gajeel seemed to frown, not quite as harshly as his usual scowls. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand, trying to drag her away. Levy resisted, shaking her head. “Oi, I said come on!” His voice was more forceful, this time making Levy glance towards him. “If Salamander is going to die, then we’ve got some things to do with him first, right? Don’t you want to say goodbye to your friend?”

Levy stared at him through tearstained eyes. Then, the solid script wizard gave a weak smile, nodding and letting him drag her away. Meanwhile, Artemis looked away, closing his eyes. Zeref could see that he was now realizing he was about to be the reason Natsu died yet again. However, it also made sense, in a way. Ankhseram must have designed his curse this way for a reason. The only way to eliminate the curse was to prove that the lesson had been learned and eliminate anything that was unnatural about the balance Ankhseram himself sought to create in the world.


	45. Prep for Operation

Flying underground with the retrieval squad was interesting, to say the least. First, they had the difficulty of realizing that the ethercube wasn’t exactly designed to fit inside of their chutes to enter Haven. As Holly watched them pause at the entrance to chute E6, she frowned and tried to consider how to deal with the dilemma herself. “If you are concerned, why not simply drop us down the chute?” Zeref made the suggestion, while Artemis paled slightly at the idea. “It isn’t as if we will die from the fall.” He had frowned, glancing towards the hole. “Though…perhaps it would be a bit uncomfortable.”

This guy had some strange ideas about how to describe things. Before Holly could object and make another suggestion, one of the more reckless of the retrieval squad did as he requested. “Sounds good to me. Enjoy the fall!” The officer, by the name of Gunter Patterson, laughed as the cube fell. Holly didn’t even hear either of them make a noise in shock, though she did hear a bit of a shout when they landed. Based on the higher pitched voice, she assumed it was Artemis. Oddly, Zeref didn’t make any sound as they landed at the bottom. Maybe it was just too quiet to hear at this distance.

With that, Holly and the rest of the team gathered together to follow after, in an actual shuttle. The people underground were startled by the odd cube with mud men inside, but they didn’t dare question the authority of the LEP as they dragged it through the station. “Now, don’t go bringing that thing through Haven, Holly. You know how people will react to it. I’ve already gone through the effort of clearing the shuttle station, so you’ve just gotta get to Aura Medical Center. Foaly’s waiting for you there, and he’s already given their team a heads up.”

“What if the curse activates during the procedure?” Zeref spoke calmly, frowning towards them.

By his side, Artemis shook his head. “I shall deal with that piece for you, at least. There is a certain sleeping spell that seemed to have enough of an effect to act as a temporary anesthetic, at the very least.”

“You know, I’m kinda proud of this kid. Remind me, how long was he aware of our existence before he traveled back in time? Because he’s picked up on a lot.”

Foaly’s comments made Holly roll his eyes. “He never said, so don’t bother asking.”

“A question for one of us?” Artemis raised his eyebrows. “I am more than willing to respond, Captain.”

Shaking her head, Holly sighed. “Foaly wants to know how long you’ve been aware of our existence.”

“Approximately two months before I traveled back in time.”

“Two…two months? Damn…I gotta say, I hope you survive this, kid. You better be up to helping me with a few of my inventions. Maybe you could help update my security above ground? Keeping an eye on mud men can be a pain in the neck.” Holly relayed his request, suddenly disliking being Foaly’s mouth for the time being.

Nodding, Artemis smiled. “Of course. While efficient, your cameras do seem to struggle with encompassing the wide space necessary to observe all of us.” He glanced towards Zeref, frowning slightly. “Would you be opposed to cameras observing your empire?”

Zeref seemed to actually be considering it when Root began barking over the communication line. “Both of you drop it! We are not allowing a mud man to consult with us on anything, Foaly, and that’s an order. This is the only time we’re working with this kid, and that’s because we need him for this emergency. Afterwords, we’re wiping him and sending him home.”

“All things considered…it might not be a good idea to wipe him.” Foaly’s comment made Root go silent. “Now, I’m not saying I’ll keep trying to work with him…but here, let me just show you an example. Holly, ask him about Mulch. You know as well as I do that he’s probably hiding somewhere above ground by now.”

Glancing towards him, Holly narrowed her eyes. “Hey, future boy, you got any great ideas about how we can deal with an escaped criminal of ours? Foaly seems to think you might know a thing or two about a dwarf by the name of Mulch Diggums.”

Smiling, Artemis nodded. “I do believe I have met that dwarf. It was a rather interesting encounter, to say the least.”

“D’Arvit.” Root swore, and Holly could already imagine his face growing read. “I see your point, Foaly. Getting some help closing a few cases might not be so bad." He paused for a moment. “But that’s it. No consulting him for LEP weaponry, got it? I don’t want him triggering some kind of self-destruct in the system that only he can activate. I wouldn’t put it past a human to sabotage our systems.”

“You got it, no weapons.” Holly could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Though…this procedure is kinda tricky. Holly, have you seen how intricate a wizard’s magic system is? I mean…it’s a little dated, but I am looking at a full body scan of their system right now. The networking of the ethernano channels is almost as delicate and small as the circulatory system. I see why Fowl actually compared the two before…it makes a lot of sense, his theory about it.”

Walking the cube through backstreets towards the medical center, Holly nodded with a frown. “I know…but Fowl seems to trust us. Right now, it’s not like he has many other options, either.” She glanced towards the boy, seeing him looking rather focused on his own thoughts now. His eyes were closed, and if she hadn’t looked closely at him, she might have said he was sleeping. However, there was too much tension in his forehead, a wrinkling of the skin as he seemed to lose himself in thought. 

“It makes me wonder what you did for him in the future, Holly.” She frowned, uncertain of it herself. He made it sound like she had hated him. If his reaction was any indicator, he didn’t want to set back their relationship now either by talking about it. “I mean, you aren’t the type of fairy to go around revealing our secrets, so he didn’t learn about us from you. So, what else could you have done for him?”

The boy opened his eyes, as if sensing her gaze. Seeing her look, he raised an eyebrow at her. This time, even Holly wanted to know the answer to Foaly’s question. “You wouldn’t happen to be willing to explain why you decided to call me, would you? That night, when you were busy dying of guilt.”

He pursed his lips, glancing away. “I…I don’t have friends, Captain.” It was a quiet comment, this time catching Zeref’s attention as well. “As Zeref himself stated…I live an isolated life. My family is always nearby, but it isn’t as if they’d comprehend what was going on. After all, would you believe a five year old child about such a story, if it was your own son or daughter?” Holly couldn’t imagine having her own kids right now, so she simply shook her head. “As for others…the only person who would truly understand the situation was Zeref. Speaking with him wasn’t as simple as contacting you…and it was actually his own words that made me so troubled. After some consideration…I realized your job just may come with such a distasteful result. Even if you yourself had not actually been forced to kill, you would at least be…sympathetic, I had believed. You did seem to have a high regard for life…and you seemed to be kind to Foaly, at least.”

There was sniggering as Foaly overheard his comment, amused with his response. “Aww, look at that. Seems like we’ve got a date set for ourselves, if you’re so sweet to me.”

“Shut it, centaur, or I’ll stop bringing you carrots when I go to visit.” The centaur always had a strong favoritism for the vegetable, despite the fact that so many stereotypes about centaurs circulated around that very fact. 

“Got it, no dates, Miss Short. Only business for us.” He was quick to respond, this time making Holly roll her eyes. “Though…he is right, you know. You have a soft spot for someone in trouble…and he seemed to realize that without you even talking to him like a real person.”

“I don’t want to sit here listening to your personal debates about who Fowl likes or does not like!” Root’s complaint came loud and clear. “Get the mission over with, Short. Then we can all send them home and end this nightmare of ours.”

Walking into the doors of the medical center, Holly nodded. Sterile white walls greeted her, with the waiting area already cleared of fairies waiting to visit their loved ones. A male pixie came to greet her, with his assistant, a young sprite, by his side. “Captain Short? I can’t believe this insane operation that donkey sent me over to do. Are you seriously having us put this much effort into two mud men?”

The man spoke, while Holly nodded. Behind her, Artemis glanced towards him. The pixie had been speaking in gnomish, so it wasn’t like the young genius understood what was being said anyway. “Hmm…I always wondered what it sounded like. Reading gnomish is quite different from hearing it.”

Mildly disturbed by the fact that he could even read it, Holly switched to her native tongue as well. “Sorry, Commander’s orders. The young one seems to think he’s got this procedure figured out for himself. In fact, he’s the one who suggested it in the first place.”

“Is he aware of the side effects? His growth will be stunted, to say the least, not to mention the imbalance caused in his system by the lack of hormone regulation. He’ll have to take supplements for the majority of the ones he can tolerate, along with being monitored closely for further complications. Likely, he won’t even be as tall as you, at this rate.”

Artemis really would be like a fairy then, unlike Zeref who was already tall enough to be considered close to average for a mud man. Still, it was what Artemis himself said to do. Still, she hesitated. Switching back to english, she watched him for a moment. “You sure about this, Arty?” The nickname she had heard from his father slipped out on accident. Somehow, it seemed to fit him better. “Doctor says you likely won’t get much taller than you are now after this procedure.”

“I can confidently say that without it, the same would also be true.” He gave her a wry smile, making her chuckle in response. 

Zeref laughed with her, startling the elf. She stopped at the noise, her eyes wide as she gazed at him. “Sorry, I did not mean to alarm you. Few can make light of our situation so early on in the stages of the curse…I am beginning to see why I made such a comment to you before, Artemis. I am sorry if that does not make you feel better, but it does not change the truthfulness to what I stated.”

The young genius’ smile weakened slightly. “I understand. In a way, I can see your logic as well. My dislike of wastefulness keeps me from killing…yet my lack of friends prevents a true sense of value for life. An odd combination…yet somehow, it suspends the curse for the time being.”

“We…we are friends, right, Arty?” Holly couldn’t deny the fact that she had been excited to meet him in person. The shock of seeing a human child had kept her silent and still for quite a while. The more she heard him, though, the more she realized it actually was the boy she had been speaking with over her communication systems. Now, she could see the expressions she imagined he’d be wearing as he worked through his troubled thoughts.

Giving her a slight smile, Artemis nodded. However, that was followed by an odd gasp as he leaned forward, touching his head. “Sorry…though I do suppose…this proves my truthfulness, considering your…lack of trust.” His eyes closed, and the box was suddenly filled with an outburst of black magic. The doctors jumped back in surprise, their eyes wide at the sight.

Smiling, Holly turned back towards them and let Artemis calm himself enough for the magic to fade away. “As you can see, there is a very good reason for their willingness to this procedure.” She had switched back to gnomish, and both fairies nodded in response. “They can mostly keep it under control…but we’ve got more ethercubes on hand just in case. Plus, we’ll be feeding them a constant drip of E-inhibitor tranqs to keep the magic as dulled as possible and allow you to cut into them in the first place.”

“You’ll have to rewire the magic system first, before removing the pituitary gland.” Artemis spoke, interrupting her. “I am not certain what order they are planning on…but if they do the reverse, it is quite likely that the gland will be regrown by the curse before they finish the second part of the procedure.”

Nodding, she relayed the instructions to the doctors who nodded in agreement. “Got it…they’ve given informed consent…and we’ve gotten permission from the LEP for the untested procedure…best we can get, all things considered. You sure the Council won’t be getting us into any trouble for this? For operating on mud men?”

“We’re taking care of that right now.” Holly spoke swiftly, to avoid any doubt. Handing the cube over to them, the doctors began moving them down towards another room. 

“Sounds good.” The pixie seemed to hesitate, frowning towards her. “You gonna wait for them? Commander Root will want a report as soon as this is finished with, I imagine.” Nodding, Holly smiled towards him. “The rest can leave, and we can’t have you in the operating room. Authorized personal only, I’m sure you understand.” With all of the red lines and tape in her own job, she knew exactly what that meant. Taking a seat, Holly watched him turn and vanish into the back room with Artemis and Zeref. Oddly, Holly felt a pang watching them leave. She didn’t wish Artemis luck in the operation, nor did she even offer him comfort that it would go well. If something went wrong, that boy would die still thinking she was barely friends with him. As she leaned back in her seat, Holly closed her eyes and made a mental vow to change that as soon as he made it out. She’d tell him how badly she had needed that call from him after Hamburg. She’d tell him that somehow, he was her second closest friend, despite how little they knew each other. She really needed to keep in touch with other fairies, but that would be boring, she realized. Keeping in touch with Artemis would be a challenge, and the thought made her smile as she thought of the future adventures they just might have together.


	46. Waking Up

As the surgery began finishing underground, most of Fairy Tail’s wizards were trapped in a frozen state on Tenrou Island after Acnologia’s attack. Levy and Gajeel had barely managed to see Natsu before everything became a massive disaster. Grimoire Heart came in search of Zeref, then the resulting battle dragged in a dragon that no one could even touch. Only Fairy Sphere, one of the great spells of their guild, was able to keep them alive.

When the spell broke, none of them knew what to expect. Levy had somewhat of an idea, due to Artemis hinting at how vital this shift would be. Wizards began waking up at various spots on the island, but she wasn’t certain if she wanted to move. Had Zeref’s magic already been lost? She didn’t know, and she wasn’t certain if she wanted to find out. 

Almost numbly, Levy rose to her feet. Joining the others, she tried searching for the wizards that she did not see. The island itself still wore signs of the attack. Trees were torn from their roots, collapsed in the grass. Talon marks were scraped along the bark of a few of them, and as Levy approached what she thought was the beach, she saw she was wrong. An entire swatch of destruction remained where Acnologia had aimed his breath attack at the guild. It looked like a clear cut path of dirt, with a pile of shattered trees and branches at the end of it all. Nothing looked like the wild and beautiful paradise of an island she had first seen when arriving.

“Levy!” Lucy smiled as she saw her friend, rushing towards her. “You’re alright. I’m so glad…we’re still trying to find everyone else.” She smiled, gesturing behind her. There, Gray stood next to Wendy, smiling weakly towards her.

Nodding, Levy returned their weak smiles. “Right…the others.” She hesitated, glancing towards her. “You haven’t seen Natsu, have you?”

“Nope. That flame brain is likely trying to pick a fight somewhere, though.” Gray shoved a hand in his pocket, scowling. “Even after a disaster like this, he never seems to change.”

Nodding, Lucy gave out a short laugh with that. “Yeah…you’re probably right. That sounds like what Natsu would do.”

Walking for a little while longer revealed that the others were actually waiting on the beach. Levy still held her tongue back, unsure of how to tell them what might be happening to Natsu. On the beach, she saw Gajeel staring at her with a frown. “You alright, shrimp? You got a weird look on your face again.”

She looked away, biting her lip. “He’s right. Is something bothering you, Levy?” Lucy joined in, while she shook her head, trying to force out a smile. Natsu wasn’t on the beach, but she could see them flagging down approaching ships from the water. Someone had been searching for them, it seemed.

“I’m fine.” She held her hands behind her back, gripping her wrist tightly to try and distract herself with the pressure. It didn’t quite work, though. Her heart felt heavy, and her blood rushed in her ears. Part of her wondered how she could even smile to her friend, knowing her partner just might be dead after all of this.

“Someone help!” Happy’s voice came then, before anyone could question her further. “Natsu won’t wake up. Something’s wrong with him.”

Hearing that, Levy couldn’t keep up her false smile. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she saw white. The beach vanished in front of her, and when she blinked again, she saw Gajeel’s face staring down at her own. “Careful, Shrimp. I’m not here to just keep carrying you around. Fighting’s more my style, got it?”

Nodding, Levy realized he was holding her up. Had she fainted after Happy’s announcement? Others were watching her with worried expressions, while Happy studied her with tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Levy. I didn’t mean to worry you so much…Natsu’s probably just tired after fighting that dragon. I’m certain he’ll wake up soon, right?”

Her cheeks were red, realizing everyone was watching her like this. Quickly, she shoved Gajeel away, falling into the sand and grimacing as her butt hit the hard dirt. Wincing slightly, she took a moment before rising to her feet, brushing off the sand. “Right…sorry.” She glanced towards Lucy, seeing her friend frowning slightly.

“Are…are you okay? I mean…you never seemed all that close to Natsu.”

Her eyes felt warm as Levy tried to fight it back. “You’re right. Still…I grew up in Fairy Tail, along with Natsu and all the others. Despite not being his closest friend, I always watched him when I got bored of whatever story I was reading. When my eyes hurt and the adventures in the books blurred before my eyes…there was Natsu, providing a real-life variation on some epic battle, right in the guild hall.” She tried to force a laugh, but it came out a bit ragged. Her chest felt heavy, like she could hardly breath. “He’s like a brother to me…even though I was never one to talk to him. I mean, seriously, if I had talked to him, he would have challenge me to a fight. It’s not like I’d have been able to win…” Her eyes went wide, realizing what she just said. She said had been, as if he no longer would do the same.

“Levy…Natsu is okay. Didn’t I just say he was going to be fine?” Happy looked sad, seeing the look on her face. However, Levy only shook her head, slamming her eyes shut.

She felt a hand touch her left arm, making her glance towards Lucy. “Come on, Levy. Let’s go check on that idiot brother of yours, alright? My partner always has a way of pulling through.”

Behind her, Levy felt a rough hand give her a shove, making her stumble forward. “You’re not going to get over this until you see him, Levy." The rough voice of the iron dragon slayer made it worse, somehow. He was being gentle, which was so unlike Gajeel. Part of her almost wished he’d start yelling at her again, or that he’d complain about not having anything to fight while helping her become an S-class wizard.

With Lucy and Gajeel accompanying her on the ground and Happy flying overhead, she began to trudge towards the trees once more. However, once she stood at the very edge of them, her shoulders drooped. Her legs felt like they were made of stone, almost impossible to move. Her arms felt cold, and as a breeze rushed over her skin, she couldn’t help but wish it was warmer, filled with Natsu’s fiery magic to make her smile. “Oi, you just gonna give up now?"

It was like Gajeel, but it wasn’t like him at the same time. Bending her head down further, Levy covered her ears with her hands. She didn’t want to hear him trying to be kind. She didn’t want to hear Happy insisting that Natsu was okay, or Lucy talking about the strength of her partner. She had kept this hidden from them, because taking down Grimoire Heart was her priority. She had kept it hidden from them, because Acnologia had been on the way. She had kept it hidden from them…because she was too selfish to even think it could happen. She always saw Natsu as one of the strongest wizards in the guild. If something as simple as this could take him down, what did that say about her? 

A hand touched her shoulder, too large to be Lucy’s. Shaking it off, Levy spun around and glared at Gajeel. “Stop it already! Just…stop it!” She shouted, this time feeling the tears begin to fall. “Stop saying…stop saying he’s alright. Don’t try and tell me to move forward…that it’ll be okay. You’re supposed to complain about not being able to fight…about me being weak, and about having no competition in the guild. You’re supposed to be stealing my spotlight, turning this competition into something about you rather than me getting to show my strength…Gajeel…this isn’t you, and the more you try and be someone else…the more it reminds me…it reminds me…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Gajeel was gazing at her, his eyes averted slightly as he frowned. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself, but Levy couldn’t stop herself either. She walked towards him, pressing her head into his chest as she began to sob helplessly.

Awkwardly, Gajeel patted the back of her head. “Salamander would be proud of you for standing up to me, shrimp.” He seemed to pause for a moment as Levy cried harder. Stupid Gajeel, not even listening to her when she told him outright what was wrong. “Maybe I should be challenging you instead, huh? You wanna fight?” He tried for a smile, and as Levy pulled her head back, blinking at him in surprise, she saw how forced it was. His eyes were sad too, his shoulders slumped as he clenched his teeth together tightly. Still, he was forcing that smile, trying to fake his usual self because she asked him too.

Her eyes grew warm again, tears still spilling down her cheeks. Next to them, Lucy stood with Happy hovering by her shoulder. “Do you know what’s wrong with them?” Happy glanced at the celestial wizard, frowning in confusion.

The blond shook her head, pointing towards the trees. “Guys…we should try and find Natsu…the others are waiting to head back, you know.”

Glancing towards her, Levy slowly began to nod, wiping away at her cheeks. “Right…” She glanced back towards Gajeel, feeling her cheeks turn pink. He was sad too, just hiding his pain. Now that she thought about it, Gajeel knew Natsu better than her, in a weird way. He was almost like a rival for Natsu, like Laxus had been. In public, they didn’t seem to get along, but in a fight with an enemy, they worked side by side, always doing whatever they could to succeed. “Come on, Gajeel. I think I’ll be okay…for now.” She held out her hand, giving him a weak smile. The iron dragon slayer stared at it for a moment, before turning his head away from her. Still, he took her hand, his cheeks turning slightly pink as well as they began to walk into the forest.

When they found him, Levy could see why Happy thought he was just sleeping. Natsu was sitting not far into the fallen trees, his body collapsed on his stomach on the ground. His eyes were closed, and his body wasn’t even bruised or battered like it normally was after fights. However, she still stopped once he was in sight. Her breath hitched again, not wanting to confirm what she was certain to be true.

Giving her an odd look, Lucy shook her head and went ahead to her friend. “Natsu! Come on, you sleepyhead. Everyone is waiting to get back to the guild.” She knelt down on the ground next to him, shaking his shoulder slightly. Happy flew to the other side, gazing at Lucy across from him.

“See? I told you he wouldn’t wake up. Natsu’s being even weirder than you, Lucy.”

“Hey!” Lucy seemed to glare at the comment, while Levy closed her eyes.

“He’s…Artemis was right, wasn’t he?” By her side, Gajeel seemed to sniff the air stiffly. He touched her shoulder, as if bracing himself for her to collapse again. 

Meeting her gaze, Gajeel slowly began to nod. “The smell’s changed. I’d smell it if he were…able to wake up.” Once again, Levy found herself wishing for his bluntness. Her tears hadn’t stopped falling, but she could feel more welling in her eyes now, falling faster. Her legs gave out, and this time, Gajeel gently lowered her to the ground. He knelt by her side, rubbing her back as she began to sob into her palms.

Glancing towards them, Happy’s tail fell behind his back. His smile faded, and his ears even seemed to droop. “Wait…you can’t be saying…everyone else is fine. Natsu should be…” The exceed glanced back down at his partner, shaking him again. “Come on, Natsu. Gajeel’s saying some pretty mean things about you. Don’t you wanna show him he’s wrong? Come on…get up…” His pleas were beginning to sound weaker every moment. 

Leaning back, Lucy’s hand lifted to cover her mouth. “No…Natsu…but why? Levy…you knew. How?”

It was probably too obvious, the way she couldn’t stop breaking down after Happy’s request. “Because…someone told me he was never supposed to be alive to begin with.” Saying it out loud made her feel sick. One of her arms pressed into her stomach, trying to repress the feeling. Distantly, she wondered if this was how Natsu had felt when he was on a train, then the thought immediately made her feel even worse. “Someone’s magic was keeping Natsu alive…and now, that magic is gone. I know…I know it’s a good thing. Artemis called him Zeref…the black wizard Zeref was on the island…but why can’t I stop wishing this didn’t have to happen? Why am I wishing Zeref still had magic…that he was still around to terrorize the world just so Natsu could be too?”

“I’m wishing the same thing. I just want to beat his ass for making us go through this…who the hell brings someone to life just to let them die like that?” Gajeel scowled, shaking his head. “If I see him again, I’ll make sure to tell him how I feel.”

“I don’t understand!” Lucy’s tears were streaming down her cheeks wildly, her body twisting to gaze back towards Levy. “Who is Artemis? What do you mean Zeref? Neither of them were on the island when Grimoire Heart came! Natsu…he can’t be dead because of something as small as that. Natsu is too strong…too powerful to just die because someone else did too.”

“Lucy…” Happy touched her hand, gazing down at the ground. He was crying too, unable to say anything of comfort. Instead, he seemed to settle with just standing next to her, joining in her cries. The celestial wizard noticed him, picking him up and pulling Happy to her chest. She embraced him as she sobbed, closing her eyes as if it would make it all go away.

“Artemis is the kid that the old man let come with us.” Gajeel looked away. In fact, Levy was almost certain he hadn’t glanced towards Natsu’s body even once. “He gave us a false name…he came looking for Zeref too. Somehow, he knew what Grimoire Heart was after…and he came to beat them to the prize. He succeeded too…and that damn bastard’s plan…stopped Zeref at the price of Salamander’s life.” He clenched his teeth tightly. “Damn it…why’d he have to make us promise not to hate him? Stupid kid…trying to save the world, not realizing there’s a better way to go about it.”

Leaning against Gajeel’s arm, Levy closed her eyes as well. Memories of Natsu flashed behind her eyes. He had already been a member when she first joined. In fact, he was the first guild member she met. Walking into the guild hall at the young age of nine, she remembered being startled at the sight of Natsu and Gray sparring in the guild hall. Natsu had just punched Gray’s stomach, sending the half-naked ice wizard slamming into the wall just next to where Levy then stood. She had flinched, startled by the action, before glancing towards Natsu. He gave her a toothy grin, holding out his hand. “Hey, are you new around here? The name’s Natsu. If you’re a wizard, wanna try sparring with me too?”

Before long, Erza had stopped that and introduced her to Makarov, allowing her to join. However, that wasn’t the only time she had seen a similar scene. She grew used to smiling in slight amusement as Natsu began brawls around the guild. His challenges against Erza ended quicker than any other, but when involving Gray, they would sometimes escalate to involve the entire guild. Sure, she got annoyed if she was trying to study in the guild hall, but the background noise felt like home. He was part of that home, no matter how annoying he was. Without him, the guild hall would be much quieter, but it wouldn’t be the Fairy Tail she knew. Now, she was going to have to go back to that, and realize that her home would never be the same.

“Levy…what am I supposed to do now?” Lucy pressed her palm to her eyes, her shoulder shaking. “Natsu was my partner…he’s the reason I’m in Fairy Tail. Without him…without him, how can I still feel like…like I’m at home? He’s always protected me…against every enemy we’ve faced, Natsu was by my side. I don’t think I’ve even gone on a single job without him…without my partner…Levy…there has to be a way to fix this…” She sobbed again, her shoulders shaking.

“I’ll…I’ll work with you…Lucy.” Happy managed to speak slightly, looking like he was trying to be determined to keep himself together. He was making an odd grimace on his face in the process, sniffling and glancing up at her. “Natsu…Natsu would have…wanted…” He began to fail at his goal, breaking down again and burring his head into her shoulder. Lucy hugged him tighter, pressing her chin into the back of his head.

For a while, none of them had anything more to say. Levy couldn’t help but focus on Happy’s last words. What would Natsu have wanted? When she thought about what Zeref was known for and all of the things he could have done, she really had no doubts. If it meant protecting his family, he would have gladly made this trade. However, as the other guild members came to search for them, confused by their prolonged absence, more stunned and shocked expressions joined their tear stricken forms. All of Fairy Tail began to mourn their loss, even as their rescuers came to bring them back from their most miraculous survival yet against Acnologia, the dragon known for never letting a single survivor come out alive. Somehow, he had still managed to claim one life, however, and it was the life that had kept everyone smiling and together throughout every crisis. They would never be the same without Natsu, but Levy vowed to fight in his place. He would never be forgotten, not matter how many years passed, and she would make sure Fairy Tail lived on, just as Natsu would have wanted.


	47. Forgiveness

Artemis had been waiting for this. He had been sitting in Fowl Manor, working on the computer he had managed to ‘borrow’ from Foaly to attempt to hack into the centaur’s files again. Considering the centaur had begun actually having a challenge with doing the same to him, Artemis figured it was fair enough. However, when his father brought in the newspaper with an odd smile, Artemis knew something was up. “Your friends are back, it seems. I suppose you weren’t lying after all about your little scheme.” Discussing the matter of what had actually happened with his father was uncomfortable, to say the least. However, Butler and his father had both agreed to let it go, so long as he did not go to such extremes again.

As predicted, the young Fowl had not changed much over the last seven years. He had the height of a five year old, though the baby fat had been lost from his face making him look a bit more mature than the child his height made people think he was. For now, his family had settled on allowing him to be reclusive, due to the confusion his public appearance would cause. Private schooling was their solution, along with tutors to ensure he remained on top of his studies. However, there were few subjects of interest that most of those tutors could teach. Instead, Artemis often snuck away to their guest bedroom, where an odd new inhabitant resided in the Fowl household.

After the surgery, rehab had been necessary for both of them. To simplify procedures, the People had attempted to hold them underground until all necessary observations were complete. For a while, Artemis had consented. The first few moments after losing his natural style of magic had been uncomfortable, to say the least. His body felt like it was almost burning, with the way ethernano rushed in his veins. At the same time, he could feel himself getting progressively more exhausted every moment, as if it took energy for his body to expel that ethernano into the air. 

Next to him, Zeref seemed to have been trapped in another ethercube due to his reaction. A black haze surrounded him at all times, and inside, he had been motionless for quite some time. Eventually, that energy died out, and he was unable to produce more. However, Artemis still couldn’t help but dabble in magic on occasion. It was so different from his powers as a wizard that the first time he went above ground, he secretly performed the Ritual, to see what he could do. Discovering the powers of healing with ease, he had quickly mastered them along with the mesmer for future use. His magic faded away again over the years, and with his unusual mastery of the curse, it had little effect. However, the largest change was still from the forced observation of Zeref and him by the People.

Worried over relapses, the LEP sent an officer once a month to verify their situation. Usually, it was Holly, but their secondary reason was to make sure they followed their guidelines. If they wished to remain above ground, Zeref and Artemis had to remain together. The People could not afford further resources to keep an eye on a curse that had hopefully faded away. Since it was perfectly possible for the same observations to occur underground, it had taken some time to convince Root to let him leave. Really, Artemis was thinking he was just worried about the exposure risk. Keeping them together helped monitor that at the same time as well.

After speaking to his parents about the agreement he had made with the People, and explaining who they were in the first place, the Fowls had unofficially adopted Zeref into their family. Oddly, Artemis found it ironic that the black wizard still ended up in his home after his stay on Tenrou Island. He had expressed as much to Zeref, while the black wizard seemed to hold little interest in the similarities. Instead, he had been more interested in speaking to Artemis about his newest tool, which he had been gifted to by Foaly. The centaur had expressly stated not to inform Root of the fact, otherwise he’d lose his job. However, after being gifted an ancient computer designated for disposal, Artemis had quickly taken to making upgrades, showing Zeref how the device functioned and even working side by side with the former black wizard on hacking into Foaly’s files. Unsurprisingly, Zeref had the same knack for picking up the technology that Artemis had, though he was still a bit behind due to Artemis’ head-start from his time traveling adventures.

Unlike Artemis, Zeref's features seemed to show more of an alteration. His hair had been cut shorter, as the former wizard himself expressed an irritation with how long it got after a year. Apparently, his hair did not grow when he had been immortal. Not only that, but his face looked older, with faintly darker coloration showing on his skin from reading outside. Oddly, the curse had apparently prevented him from gaining a tan either. As Zeref expressed it, his body was “frozen in time”. As a result, no physical changes at all could be seen, until his body lacked enough magic to support the curse itself.

Not only was Zeref living with Artemis, but Artemis was also forced to take an occasional trip as a result. With Zeref being the emperor of another nation, he expected as much. What surprised him was how rare those trips were, however. Zeref’s generals had grown used to his presence, along with Butler’s, and he often found himself trying to stop himself from making suggestions during his meetings with the militaristic leaders of his nation. It wasn’t his place to try and change things, but he still couldn’t help himself if he felt like things could be run more efficiently.

In an odd way, Artemis found he rather enjoyed living with Zeref. Still, both of them eagerly awaited the news of Fairy Tail. Artemis had explained what happened to the guild when he heard the news of everyone vanishing. The black wizard had looked a bit distant, stating that the only person he would have wished to see was gone anyway. However, Artemis still felt like he owed them a visit, after all of this. Levy would be in need of some form of apology, as she would be realizing the truth of his words. So, once that news came in, Artemis, Butler, and Zeref were on their way to Magnolia in an instant, seeking out the guild that had fallen to low standards with the disappearance of their strongest members.

In town, it was clear that Zeref still felt uncomfortable. He shied away from anyone who even got within a foot of him, hunching his shoulders together and frowning around at the populated city. “Is…there a less public route to take?”

“Worry not, I am here to protect you just as much as Master Artemis.” Butler smiled at the man, touching Zeref’s shoulder. “Should anyone harm you, I assure you that you will be safe.”

“I do not believe that is his concern, old friend.” Artemis sighed, glancing towards them. “Has the curse lashed out at all in the last six years?” Zeref shook his head. “Then how can you conclude that it will now?”

“Because it has been uncontrollable for the four hundred years before those.” Sighing, Artemis shook his head. Sometimes, it was just difficult to break old habits, he supposed. Zeref may have strong logic, but he also had years of experience teaching him to avoid public areas.

Staying close to Zeref, Artemis smiled. “Very well. I suppose I will continue to act as your barrier from others, then. As tedious as it might be walking into others, I suppose I am more comfortable with the thought than you are.” Considering his height, most people would also be more likely to write it off as an absent-minded child as well. Still, Zeref actually seemed relieved as Artemis walked closely in front of him, smiling faintly.

“Your methods of dealing with things are…interesting, to say the least. I still find them amusing to observe.”

“Ah, but you are the one who aids me in most of my more recent schemes. Did you not just help me steal and alter Foaly’s recent updated variation of his iris cam to sell to the public? Most people simply utilize it to alter their eye color…why people refuse to read the warnings on our product labels continues to baffle me.”

“I doubt many have need for such sophisticated software, Artemis. Magic acts quite similarly. Would surveillance lacrimas not be capable of the same purpose? You’ve altered them to capture real-time images at your manor.” 

Butler sighed, shaking his head at them. “Sometimes, I wonder how you two haven’t been arrested yet. Does your father know of these schemes?”

“Some of them. When they are legal, at least.” Artemis smiled towards Zeref. “However, I highly doubt Zeref minds the legality, or lack thereof, for our schemes. Considering what he has done in the past, small theft of intellectual property is rather minor.”

Nodding in agreement, Zeref smiled. “Indeed. It also serves the purpose of keeping my mind active. I suppose I did not expect to find life so…interesting, after gaining the ability to die. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that the fairy doctors prevented me from utilizing that scalpel in the recovery wing.” Early in Zeref’s recovery from surgery, he had made an attempt to take away his own life. Spotting his attempt on their cameras, doctors had rushed in and quickly undone any damage Zeref had managed. From that point on, he had not been left alone, and they had put him into therapy with one of their less-than-intelligent phycologists. Artemis was fairly certain he knew more about the subject than the man working with Zeref, but he had refrained from saying so directly to his face. To Zeref, he had joked about the matter repeatedly, however.

That was one thing Zeref seemed to be relieved to be free of. Above ground, he had no therapy sessions to endure, and Artemis and Butler had been placed in charge of keeping him alive. They wanted to collect more data on how this procedure affected them in the future, in case future curse cases emerged. “It is good to hear that you are no longer going on about that nonsense. Life at home would be such a tedious matter without you around to challenge my theories.”

“Such as your plans to produce and market cam-foil next? If you continue to steal his inventions, Foaly will catch on to what you are doing.”

Smiling, Artemis nodded. “Indeed…which is why alterations must be made. Perhaps not complete invisibility…something for children? A minor reduction to how visible someone is, combined with an advertising scheme geared towards a child’s game..." He trailed off, frowning as he thought.

Zeref shook his head as he opened his mouth to reply. However, that was when Artemis ran directly into someone on the street, as expected with the way they were walking. “Sorry!” A woman’s voice shouted towards them, despite having fallen during their collision. “Ouch…” She rubbed her back, grimacing slightly. Meanwhile, Artemis blinked at her in shock. His gaze flickered towards the back of his hand, wondering if somehow something had changed. When he saw bare skin, he glanced back towards the long blond hair and half-lidded green eyes of Mavis Vermillion, still grimacing as she got back up from her fall. “I guess I wasn’t looking where I was going. I got excited to be going into town after so long…it’s nice to meet you!” She kept her gaze focused on Artemis, a smile on her face as she held out her hand. “I’m Mavis. Do you wanna play a game with me?”

Behind him, Zeref was staring at her with wide eyes. “Mavis…but…how?” 

Hearing his voice made the girl stiffen, her eyes widening. “Zeref?” Then, she glanced back towards Artemis, recognition lighting her features. “The boy from Tenrou Island…Zeref’s friend.” Uncertain of exactly when she had seen him, Artemis nodded and shook her hand.

“Artemis Fowl II. The pleasure is all mine. Though…I do believe my companion is far more excited to speak with you than I.” Behind him, Zeref wordlessly moved forward, stepping around Artemis.

Meeting his gaze, Mavis rose to her feet with a smile. “It’s been a long time, Zeref. You seem to be doing well.”

“You’re…alive.” Zeref was smiling, looking like he was about to cry. “Mavis…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…I never wished to put you through such an event.”

Shaking her head, Mavis wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled Zeref into a hug. “It is alright, Zeref. I’m just fine.” She patted his back, while Zeref clung to her in an almost desperate embrace. “After all, everything caused by your magic went away, did it not? Did you think it would still keep me trapped, even after everything else vanished with it?”

Smiling, Artemis nodded. “And as you were spying on us, you knew exactly where to go to undergo the same experimental procedure once you woke up.” The girl blinked at him in surprise. “Though, I must give you some form of praise for hiding it so well. I only managed to discover the truth after my most recent search through Foaly’s notes on our recovery. The centaur seems to think he can keep their comments on our condition hidden from us…and it surprised me to find notes on a third subject. After some consideration, I realized there was only one possible option for it to be.”

Glancing towards him, Zeref seemed to have grown paler. “And you did not inform me of this?”

“She wished to surprise you. Based on her previous reaction to when things did not occur as she expected them to…I believed it was best to allow her surprise to function as intended.”

Frowning, Mavis tilted her head towards him. “Thank you! But…when did you even see me? Back then, only members of Fairy Tail could do so.”

“Time travel.” Zeref and Artemis spoke at the same time, both of them wearing nearly identical faint smiles of amusement at their mishap. Really, they were far more similar than Artemis ever realized. Zeref really was correct in saying Artemis resembled the black wizard in many ways.

Shaking her head, Mavis smiled brightly at them. “Well…I guess we’ve got a lot to catch up on, don’t we?” Zeref only nodded, while Mavis reached out and grabbed her hand. “I was planning on finding some new friends to play with in town…but I think I’d rather stay with you. You are heading towards Fairy Tail, right?” 

“Indeed. I had hoped…to apologize, for their loss. In the end, if it were not for my plan…I suppose Natsu would have remained with you.”

Her smile faded, but Mavis did not seem angry or upset about the matter. “Indeed, he would have. However…Natsu was never meant to be alive right now. Every day we managed to spend with him was a blessing…a miracle that no one seemed to realize. A boy, born into another era, living in ours…he was always a bit out of place, but always welcome with us. Just like the two of you will always be.” She gave them a smile, nodding as they continued moving. “Natsu is always in our hearts, just as he will always be in yours, Zeref.”

As someone not quite as close to the dragon slayer, Artemis had not been able to help Zeref cope with the knowledge that his brother was gone again. However, Mavis seemed to be able to bring out a small smile in him about the matter, despite the distant look in his gaze. “Perhaps I could share a story about his childhood with them.” 

“I think we’d like that…everyone has been feeling pretty down, since the Tenrou group returned.” Mavis smiled faintly, arriving at the doors to the guild. “Still…be careful how you approach this. I’m certain a few members will still be upset…especially Lucy.”

Recalling the celestial wizard, Artemis nodded. All of this had started with her, in an odd way. Now, it seemed fitting to end it with her as well. Walking inside, he saw the unusual calmness to the guild. There were no brawls beginning, and conversations were almost muted amongst members. Lucy sat alone with Happy in a corner of the guild, hunched over and not inviting anyone closer. Gray and Erza seemed to be leaning on each other for support, though they were at the bar with Mira speaking to them quietly. When Artemis and Zeref were spotted, it was Levy and Gajeel who jumped to their feet first. “You! Oi, I’ve got a few words for you, kid.”

Gajeel rushed forward, jabbing a finger in his direction. Meanwhile, Levy was dragged along, her eyes ringed with red as she avoided meeting Artemis’ gaze. “Gajeel…I told you, we shouldn’t bother him about it. He didn’t have a choice…”

“But he’s right there, showing off the living black wizard while Salamander is still…” Gajeel clenched his teeth together, cutting off his words.

In the back booth, Lucy had glanced up. Happy glared at him too, his wings appearing as he took flight. “That’s the kid that killed Natsu! I’m not letting you get away with it!” The exceed actually picked Artemis up into the air, startling the young boy. Butler saw this happening, reaching for his belt, but Artemis held a hand out in a gesture to stop.

“Happy…I am sorry.” His words barely seemed to register with the sobbing cat as he flew upward, trying to get elevation in his odd form of an attack. “Natsu…was born four hundred years ago. He was not meant to live this long…”

“But he was alive!” The cat interrupted him, glaring down at him. “Natsu was alive…even if he wasn’t supposed to be. He didn’t have to die…after all, if he had already broken that rule, why couldn’t he just keep…keep breaking it?”

“Because the price for his life would have been hundreds, if not thousands of others.” Zeref spoke, glancing up towards them. The exceed clenched his teeth together, slowly lowering Artemis back to the ground. “You…you were close to him, were you not?” Zeref gave him a sad smile, holding out his hand. “I was as well. That was why I…I devoted my life to bringing him back to life. In the end, such a feat is only possible if I become the monster history knows me to be.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Lucy glared at him, dark circles under her eyes as she approached as well. “Natsu’s been with us for years. He was my partner…always by my side, no matter what. You’re the black wizard. You don’t care who you hurt, so long as you get what you want.”

Glancing towards Zeref, Artemis sighed. “Few seem to understand what the term ‘cursed’ means, do they?”

Shaking his head, Zeref seemed to share a look with him. For now, they would not be bringing up that detail, at least. “Natsu…was my brother.” Any other objections stopped before they were given. “True, that is who I am. I have killed, and I have not cared about that fact if it ended in my desired result. However…that desired result was often to keep Natsu alive. Do you know how many have died so he could live, Lucy Heartfilia? Do you know how many in your family alone have done so?” The blond blinked, taking a step back.

“You didn’t…my family doesn’t have any connections to you…my mother would have told me…”

“She died opening the Eclipse Gate, a spell of my own creation.” He smiled sadly at her. “That was how Natsu arrived in this era. Another ancestor of yours by the name of Ana died opening it four hundred years ago, to connect it to this time period. Others…countless others, dying by my own hand because of this curse I gained as a result…well, can you truly say it was worth it? Was just one life worth so much death?”

Closing her eyes, Lucy looked away, unable to answer him. Others held similar looks of mixed anger and grief, unable to forgive Zeref despite knowing it was for the best. However, Levy stepped forward, raising her head towards them. “Natsu…he wouldn’t have wanted that to be the case.” She met Zeref’s gaze, holding out her hand. “He would have wanted…wanted his brother to be accepted, I think. He was always quick to forgive others…” She looked away, her arm shaking slightly.

Nodding, Zeref shook her hand, a faint smile on her face. “I remember you. You were in the forest, when I was speaking to Artemis.” She nodded, keeping her gaze locked on the ground.

“You almost killed me too…” She bit her lip, glancing towards Artemis. “And I guess that’s why I understand. I saw what happened, as a result of your curse. No one deserves to be forced to use magic like that…and Natsu wouldn’t have wanted to know that he was in some way responsible for it.”

“Levy…” Lucy glanced towards her friend, tears silently falling down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean…I know Natsu wouldn’t want that.” Happy landed on her shoulder, nodding sadly.

“Aye.” His gaze flickered towards Zeref, his ears still slightly downturned. “Natsu would want us to follow Igneel’s advice…to stay strong when we’re sad, and keep moving forward.”

“Keep moving forward…” Zeref trailed off, glancing around at the guild. “I’ve been stuck in the same spot for a long time. Is it time to move forward, into a new era?” He seemed to be questioning that fact himself, glancing around.

By his side, Mavis squeezed his hand. “It is. Now, didn’t you say you had some stories to share with us? Something to remember Natsu by…an adventure we’ve never heard of about him as a child, before he joined the guild.”

Smiling, Zeref nodded and let her lead him into the guild. He sat down at a table, with members still watching him warily. Artemis gave him some space, letting him begin to tell a tale about two brothers growing up in a town ravaged by war, learning about magic and family from each other. As he continued to speak, Zeref began to relax, getting lost in the story. What he didn’t seem to even realize was how the guild reacted, however. They seemed to follow his lead, resting in their seats and closing their eyes as he told his tale. Lucy was crying still with Happy in her arms, but she was smiling faintly as she heard about her old partner. Mavis leaned her head against Zeref’s arm and he didn’t even seem to notice, still too engrossed in his tale. However, the more he spoke, the more the guild seemed to accept him among them. Perhaps Zeref wasn’t a member, and perhaps he never would spend much time with the guild, but Artemis could see that they all longed to keep him here. Zeref was the last piece of Natsu they had left in this world, and watching him in their guild hall, he saw the first hints of healing begin. They would manage just fine, he realized. With time and effort, things would return to normal, and Artemis would go back to life as usual, with an oddly larger circle of friends than he ever expected to have in his life. Even more unexpected was the fact that his circle of friends included fairies, the infamous black wizard, and an entire rambunctious legal guild by the name of Fairy Tail, moving forward as they all adjusted to their new lives where the black curse was no more.


End file.
